What Does My Healing Journey Look Like?

Beers and Probst, 2012. “Notice and Note Signposts.”

 What Does My Healing Journey Look Like?

Everyone’s Healing Journey looks different. Fortunately, God is consistent and develops some pretty specific ways in speaking to us. These milestones and seasons in our lives form patterns and, if we’re observant, they can give us a sense of “less-than-randomness” and even an idea that there’s a plan and a provision for our lives. 

I've come to look it as a long Journey, which has a beginning, a destination, and some action in between those points. And it's rarely straightforward. But it does appear to sometimes have rhyme and reason.

It's in learning how to read the route and the signs - or milestones and seasons as I like to see them - that the journey starts making a little more sense. For example, if you’re driving on a long journey and you come to a rest stop, you know that it’s about taking a brief break, stretch your legs - but not too far - and get back on your way, hopefully refreshed. Here are some of the milestones and seasons I’ve identified in my life. 

Hope 

The Christian healing journey is marked by hope. It’s what we put our faith into allowing us to know that God is in control. Hope allows us to make it through situations when we don’t really understand what’s going on. Because of the presence of the Holy Spirit within us and the faithfulness of God towards us as evidenced by His Word, we can have Hope.

For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance. (Rom 8:24-25 NET)

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:13 NET)

Faith in God’s Word

Faith arises when our hope, or the “belly of our spirit man,” is full of the Word of God, having received it as the Words of GOD. Though we should also have a steady, daily diet of the Word, there will be some seasons when the ONLY thing that’s getting us through is reading, hearing, and speaking the Word. 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, "The righteous by faith will live." (Rom 1:16-17 NET)

Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ. (Rom 10:17 NET) 

For we had good news proclaimed to us just as they did. But the message they heard did them no good, since they did not join in with those who heard it in faith. (Heb 4:2 NET)

And so we too constantly thank God that when you received God's message that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human message, but as it truly is, God's message, which is at work among you who believe. (1Th 2:13 NET)

Helping Others 

One of the signs of a growing Healing Journey looks like is the desire to help others. We can only progress so far on our own. Even if one fails to connect with an “official church body,” those who rely on relationship with God typically find themselves in friend- and fellow-ship with other believers. It may not look traditional, but these are the people that we can share our treasures and tribulations with. This gives us opportunity to put Word into action and after we ourselves have been impacted by the Word.

Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing. (1Th 5:11 NET)

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up. (Rom 15:2 NET)

From Him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body grows in love. (Eph 4:16 NET)

We help others as we have received and are receiving help and strength. This is a manifestation of the Spirit of Christ within us, working outwards through love.  

I Wanna Know What Love Is

"I give you a new commandment - to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples - if you have love for one another." (Jhn 13:34–35 NET)

So I believe what the Word says so far. Jesus is love, and Jesus said that they shall know that you are my disciples by loving one another. I agree with this in principal, but I’ve found that my idea of what love is rarely matches what scripture says. So, what does Biblical love look like?

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends... (1Co 13:4–8a NET)

Reading this beautiful description in 1Cor 13th chapter it can be very frustrating because “the list” is impossible to achieve (The Amplified (Classic) version is an even tougher one to read - try the link). The key is to not see it as a checklist of things wrong or right that day, or the standard by which we should gauge folks by (though it is useful to find out whether or not we're walking in love) but rather to see it as the attributes and aspects of an image which shows us the position or mark we are journeying to…

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phl 3:13–14 NET)

This mark is to live life in such a way that we finish the race well and not only make it into heaven but receive all of the rewards that have been promised to us. It is exemplified in becoming as Christ-like as we can by living out a life of Love. 

Jesus even goes so far as to command us to love our enemies. 

Treat others in the same way that you would want them to treat you. "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ... But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to ungrateful and evil people. (Luk 6:31–32, 35 NET)

I can only learn to love like this because the Spirit of God teaches and gives me the power to do so.

Let Go, My Ego

It is impossible for me to have an opinion of myself other than God's view and walk in Biblical love. Our troubles and our travails really center upon our inability to let go and trust God because of our pride-filled self-life, our flesh, or our ego. We may not be prideful in the sense of outwardly manifesting pride, but we like to be in control of our own affairs. This is subtly snubbing God, stating that, “Yes, I know you made the universe and all, but I’m the best authority on my own life… I’ll handle it from here…” and we do a horrific job of it. It is only in letting go my ego, dying to my self, that I can live the kind of life that God is calling me to.

When we look into the perfect law of Liberty what do we see? When we walk away, do we carry that saving knowledge within us, knowing that we need to change, or do we forget? When we finally sense things are not in our control we see our helplessness and we’ll do anything to make this bleeding fear go away. This creates anxiety on one end of the spectrum and on the other end of the spectrum it creates these (sometimes) unwritten and unspoken rules which take the place of God’s rule in our life to try to prop us up and, ironically, put us back in control. Or it may lead to depression as we silently succumb to the bleakness of the situation, or any combination thereof. Instead of trusting the Word and the Holy Spirit, we trust ourselves, refusing to hop off the throne of our life for more than a few moments at a time. 

The only way we can let our ego go and cause self to die is to trust in God by coming into agreement with and obediently submitting to His Word. We work with His Word and Holy Spirit to allow the nature and spirit of Christ to form in us. But we can do so with confidence because He’s always had a plan in place. This is why He died for us! 

Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is. (1Jo 3:2 NET)

You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man who has been created in God's image - in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth. (Eph 4:22–24 NET)

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God's will. And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified. (Rom 8:26–30 NET)

Brokenness

It is difficult to let go of your ego without being broken. Being broken means we agree with the Word that we are continually falling short with Him because something within us is not working and we need healing. We often learn these things by our trials. Those trials are not to show God who we (He’s omniscient), the trials are for us. When those trials come and it seems if they're trying to break us, this is because they really are. However, they're trying to break us out of the old and into the new. The brokenness that comes forth can bring about lasting change into a life more in line with the Will of God.

No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it. (1Co 10:13 NET)

And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons? "My son, do not scorn the Lord's discipline  or give up when he corrects you. "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts." ... Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness for those trained by it. (Heb 12:5-6, 11 NET)

Desperation

When being broken fails to motivate us, desperation often does. Desperation fuels passion and pushes faith to God levels that he is pleased with, causing us to burn past, burn off, and burn up all of the things that have found us and held us and caused us to be captive for so many years. God, being both wise and loving, will sometimes allow things to come upon us which are so overwhelming and encompassing on every level, that they do put before us the temptation of condemnation or desperation; we will realize that we are in a horrible pit, often of our own devising, because of what lies within us. If we choose well we step into entirely new blessed seasons of life. 

Condemnation will come if we fail to resist Satan’s lies. We must know that God has to be at the center of our life and must be the ruler of it all and He is my source of all I need. At this point, we'll desperately reach out for him knowing that if we can just touch the hem of His garment, like the woman with the issue of blood after suffering for so many years, we shall be made whole. 

Sometimes the hem of His garment looks like a person, and He does desire to use His people to bring about His healing in the earth. It’s His body, fitly joined together as it pleases Him. 

So, since Christ suffered in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same attitude, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin, in that he spends the rest of his time on earth concerned about the will of God and not human desires. (1Pe 4:1–2 NET)

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, regarding the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living. Indeed we felt as if the sentence of death had been passed against us, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. (2Co 1:8–9 NET)

Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad, but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad as God intended, so that you were not harmed in any way by us. For sadness as intended by God produces a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly sadness brings about death. For see what this very thing, this sadness as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. (2Co 7:9–11 NET)

Trying again… and again… and repeating as necessary

As we break out and away from our old self through the power of God, there will be many times when we become frustrated with our apparent lack of effort or even worse our seeming ability to fall back into old ways. This is actually a normal part of the healing journey, but the enemy loves to condemn us and fool us into thinking that we aren’t growing, or worse, going backwards. Breaking away from sinful habits takes time, effort, and Holy Spirit power through talking with God and ingesting His Word. Because the flesh is trying its best not to die and Satan has a vested interest in the same, there will be times when we fail. So we have to continue to try again. 

We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed, (2Co 4:8–9 NET)

Although a righteous person may fall seven times, he gets up again… (Pro 24:16a NET)

For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phl 1:6 NET)

And we do this in His power. He will never leave us nor forsake us, He will always remain true to His Word. And because of this, regardless of the circumstances, we find ourselves once again with hope.

He delivered us from so great a risk of death, and he will deliver us. We have set our hope on him that he will deliver us yet again. (2Co 1:10 NET)

Conclusion

The Journey of Life is incredible, sometimes beautiful, sometimes confusing, and everything in between; but God is always faithful. Sometimes it doesn’t feel that way, but He cannot lie. You just have to learn to read between the signs. This posting shares some of my life's most common signposts; perhaps they are familiar in yours? The familiarity has created a sense of comfort, both in the one providing the signs and my ability to understand what to do when I see them on the road. 

Some of these are challenging, either to grasp or to accept; they were for me for many years. Though I now understand their presence, and to some degree, their purpose, it still takes a bit to navigate them. Each of these various milestones or season topics require some degree of unpacking, which we’ll do later. If you found yourself in any of these, share it in a comment. Or perhaps you think I missed something that should be up there - share that too.  And if it was really something that really hit home, feel free to either comment or drop me a PM and we’ll talk about it.