Wounded Healer
Sermon Review
17 December 2000
2Cor.1:3-7

Did you know that there is a scale of skin sensitivity? It is called the absolute threshold of touch, and is measured in grams per square millimetre of skin surface. Researchers have discovered that the tip of the tongue is sensitive to 2 grams of pressure, fingers 3 grams, back of hand 12 grams, back of forearm 33 grams, sole of foot 250 grams of pressure. This demonstrates that there is a wide range of sensitivity carefully built into the body. Delicate touch is possible where needed, and a slap or the equivalent is needed in others.

There is another scale of sensitivity which researchers also use, it is called the absolute threshold of pain. In this test measurements are made to determine how much pressure is needed before it becomes a painful sensation. This also differs. For example, the fingertip can detect a mere 3 grams of pressure, yet it takes 300 grams of pressure before pain registers. In contrast, due to the fragility of the cornea of the eye, a hot wire to the brain is in place as only 0.2 grams of pressure is needed to send an alarm.

It seems that God has organised an incredible spread of sensors in the body so we can function, and be alerted when something goes wrong. Biologically, pain is an essential part of us. Lepers, who lose this capacity, suffer the loss of parts of their bodies because they do not even know that they are suffering. In the area of the emotional, mental, and spiritual, there is a counterpart sensitivity system, designed to allow us to function effectively – to feel joy, happiness, satisfaction, or sadness, dissatisfaction, or stress etc. These different sensations and emotions are necessary to tell us when we are being effected, by what, and whether something needs remedying. This is the common lot of all humanity. It is part of God’s creative genius.

Pain Comes To All

What this all means is that we are all capable of being hurt or wounded in life, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Not only are we capable of being hurt, but due to the nature of life, we all are hurt, both physically and otherwise.

Have you been able to come to grips with the fact that being human in this world means that being hurt is a given? The fall in the Garden of Eden should prepare us for this kind of reality. Life is not how it should be and we are not as we should be, so pain comes to all in some measure via some means. Perhaps through unfortunate circumstances, or as a result of others choices, or through our own ignorance, stubbornness, or bad choices. However hurt comes, it is inevitable that it will.

Additionally, Being Christian Has Its Own Compliment Of Suffering

Consider Paul’s experience: 2Cor.11:24-29 5 times 39 lashes, 3 times beaten with rods, once stoned, 3 times shipwrecked, suffered danger from rivers, bandits, from Jews and Gentiles, pain from intensive labour, going with out food and sleep, warm clothes, and the continual stress of his concern for all the churches he had started.

Paul said that ‘the suffering of Christ overflows into the life of the believer’ 2:5. These probably include such things as:

• Persecution cf. 2Tim.3:12
• Wrestling with sin Heb.12:1-3;1Pet.2:11,12
• Involvement in others hurts and pains Rom.12:15
• Coming to grips with God allowing troubles & pain in our lives Prov.19:3; 1Pet.1:6,7

Thankfully, Being Wounded or Hurt Is Not The End Of The Story:

Paul found that God was more than capable of ‘comforting’ him in ‘all’ his troubles. He called God the ‘Father of compassion’, the God of all comfort (paraclete). God is the one who brings comfort to all who seek it – and he brings it in many varied ways:

• Changing of circumstances or situations 2Cor.1:10,
• Bringing relief through others Epaph Phil.2:25,
• Offerings Rom.15:26,
• A personal sense of His presence and love Rom.8:17
• Prayer and sense of peace Phil.4:6ff.,
• Words of encouragement to us personally Acts.18:9,10,
• Healing Acts.3:6,7

God is not fixated on only one method, he acts individually, depending upon the type of wound, and what is best for us and His plans and purposes. The fact is that God’s comfort is available to all, through Christ 2Cor.1:5. Q. Have you found this to be true in your experience

Flow On Effect

Paul saw that when God comforted him, it equipped him to be able to minister and be a blessing to others. He not only observed this happening, but saw that it was intentional. God wanted this to happen. God equips people to be a source of blessing by comforting them in their own pain. He enables them to become wounded healers. This is good news for all of us are wounded in some way. Therefore we are all capable of being equipped to minister care, love understanding and grace to others.

Why then are we not more often more moving examples of compassion, care, love & comfort to others?

There are few outstanding reasons that may explain this.

• Pain can become something that we want to hang on to. Sometimes we use it to protect ourselves from rising up and engaging with life because life is too threatening for us. We hang on to it, we focus on it, we use it to explain all that we do or do not do. Sometimes we don’t want it dealt with because we want to justify our anger, or unforgiveness, or inflexibility etc.
• Pain can be denied or rejected. Sometimes, as a protective measure, we switch off from pain by denying that we even have been hurt, or we consciously reject it as it an inconvenient or uncomfortable intruder that has no right to station itself in our consciousness. Sometimes, we blame God, or others, or life itself, and thereby avoid constructively dealing with it. Unacknowledged or rejected pain is dangerous: pain is only a symptom that something is wrong.
• Pain in and of itself is not what makes us blessings to others. It has the potential to make us hard, resentful, superficial, bitter, or compassionate, softer, provide a sense of common oneness with all others, the acceptance of reality and not fantasy, healthy pro-active behaviour, and be more humble and caring individuals.

How Can We Be Better Examples Of Love, Care & Compassion?

It is the mix of pain and comfort that best equips for being a source of comfort and grace to others, not just being hurt. This means that we have to…

• Own up to our hurts,
• Seek God for comfort and help.
• Be willing to receive that comfort in the manner in which He decides to provide it.
• Be willing to make our own painful and joyful experiences available as sources of clarification, understanding, and compassion for others.

If we deny or reject our own pain, then we can’t receive God’s comfort. If we refuse to accept how He wants to help us, then we can’t receive God’s comfort. And if we can’t acknowledge our pain or refuse the way in which God wants to help us, then we will not be able to be moving examples of loving care to others that God brings across our paths.

Conclusion

God can help you and bring comfort to you, whatever your problem, pain, or wound is. Do you want it? Are you willing to acknowledge that you need His comfort and help? Are you willing to receive it as He sees fit to dispense it? These are the questions that we must ask ourselves.

Remaining wounded, and not doing anything constructive about it is a no man’s land. It is a painful limbo – like not wanting to struggle to win, but not being able to give up and die. God can break cycles, change circumstances, bring grace, sometimes healing – let Him. Don’t simply stay wounded. Seek God on His terms and find the gracious comfort of God so that you can be moved from being one of the wounded to being a wounded healer, as God intends. In order to do this you need to be real and authentic with yourself, God & others. You need to be assertive. This is another reason why being authentic is so important in the Christian life.

Discipleship is a call to both receive and give blessing through your own wounds. If you simply remain wounded, you run the risk of becoming an emotional leper. Today, if you would like to walk at a deeper level of authenticity with God and others, and you would like His comfort and grace as He gives it, then put it to prayer and become a wounded healer instead of just being wounded?

Blessings

 

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