EVERY BIBLICAL CHARACTER WENT THROUGH A TRAUMATIC SITUATION…
All of us have faced trauma… and we all will face something traumatic…
John 16:33
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
There is a tribulation… there is trouble… there is trauma…
Psalm 147:3 NLT
3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
Jesus came not JUST to heal physical bodies - but to heal us mentally and emotionally as well.
Isaiah 42:3 - 4
3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
A bruise is a wound under the surface.
That is the same with emotional bruising.
TITLE: TACKLING THE TRIGGERS OF TRAUMA
TRAUMA = a physical, emotional, psychological response to a deeply disturbing or distressing event.
• trauma CAN be physical; it is also emotional and psychological.
3 TYPES OF TRAUMAS:
• Acute - Response from a one-time traumatic event.
• Chronic - LONG term response from repeated events.
• Complex - Response to multiple and ongoing events.
TRAUMA - changes how you see:
- PEOPLE
- GOD
- FAITH
- LIFE
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?!!!!
SICKNESS HAPPENS WITH
Scientists agree:
Severe emotional stress and issues that stem from trauma suppresses immune system:
• specifically thyroid
• digestive system
• gall bladder
• gain weight and can’t keep it off.
John 7:38
38 out of your belly can flow rivers of living water…
IF YOU ARE STOPPING UP THE RIVER DUE TO TRAUMA YOU WON’T RELEASE… YOUR BELLY WILL ACTUALLY SWELL.
Demons use unhealed wounds as ENTRY POINTS TO
• UNFORGIVENESS
• REJECTION
• ABUSE
• EMOTOINAL PAIN
• MENTAL BREAKING
AN OPEN DOOR GIVES LEGAL RIGHT FOR DEMONIC FORCES TO ENTER…
The BIGGEST strongholds in our life are not the thoughts that YELL AT US,
but the thoughts we have accepted as identity.
The EMOTIONS and MENTAL trauma we have
You were damaged… you were hurt..BUT
- YOU ARE NOT A HURT PERSON
- YOU ARE NOT DAMAGED GOODS
- PEOPLE ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY
DO NOT LET YOUR TRAMA BECOME YOUR
DO NOT GLORIFY TRAUMA AND MAKE IT AN
YOUR DAMAGE WILL NOT DEFINE YOU!
:: 7 STEPS TO HEAL FROM TRAUMA ::
There are steps for healing in every situation.
Healing Step #1 – FACE IT -
Acknowledge where you are right now.
You cannot heal when you
- Ignore
- Suppress
- Forget.
The reason we want bury it is because we Feel Vulnerable or Helpless.
God sends His Word, and you cannot receive it…
God sends people to minister to you and you cannot receive it…
YOU CANNOT HIDE UR TRASH & HOLD THE TRUTH AT THE SAME TIME!
Usually what happens is when God calls you to a Higher Level:
… your trash starts talking…
… your shame starts talking…
… your trauma starts talking…
YOUR PAIN IS NOT YOUR
YOUR ISSUE IS NOT YOUR
YOUR MISTAKE IS NOT YOUR MIDDLE
Healing Step #2 – FAITH IT
People used to say “Fake it until you make it…”
There is something to say ABOUT FAITHING IT until you make it…
- Stepping out BEFORE you feel it…
- BEFORE you understand it…
Paul is FACING his trauma and he Talks about it.
You are Encouraged to Process the pain of your trauma.
Seek trusted friends, Pastor, Christian Counselors that are trained to help.
Paul is FACING his trauma and PRAYS about it.
2 Corinthians 12:7 - 8
7 …even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.
TAKE THE TRASH TO GOD… THEN TAKE IT AGAIN…
GOD HEARD HIM EACH TIME… but God was ministering to him to get him to the point to receive…
Paul is asking - GOD, JUST TAKE IT AWAY!!!
God is asking… WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?
• too often we hold our trash… because this is comfortable…
DO YOU
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS HAS ALREADY DONE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR YOU TO
2 Corinthians 12:9 - 10
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
PAUL JUST NEEDED TO RECEIVE.
Paul concluded that:
“I WAS WEAK - BECAUSE I WAS CARRYING WHAT I DID NOT NEED TO CARRY!
NOW - I AM STRONG BECAUSE I UNPACKED IT”…
Healing Step #3 – FRAME IT
Many times when counseling, I ask the person to recall the memory…
THEY DO NOT WANT TO BECAUSE INSTEAD OF BEING HEALED:
- THEY WANT TO DISASSOCIATE…
- THEY WANT TO SEPERATE…
- THEY WANT TO LIVE WITH THE BRUISE…
ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BRING YOU BACK TO THE MOMENT OF PAIN.
• the abuse
• the rejection
• the fear
• the trauma
NOW… YOU NEED TO SEE THAT JESUS IS THERE IN THE MOMENT.
HE WAS THERE. HE IS THERE.
Yes, the past happened… but instead of focusing so hard on the event…
ZOOM OUT and FRAME the past with the eyes of understanding JESUS WAS THERE ALSO.
Jesus knew what Paul was going through: HE WAS THERE.
GOD DOES NOT CHANGE YOUR PAST ~ BUT HE CAN HEAL YOUR BROKEN HEART.
Psalm 34:18
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
HEALING DOES NOT ALWAYS PROVIDE US WITH ANSWERS,
IT PROVIDES US WITH FREEDOM.
A person who is emotionally bruised must come to a point where they realize they will not have all the answers this side of heaven.
Healing Step #4 – FLING IT
YOU have to LEAVE YOUR CRUTCH and LEAN on JESUS!
2 Corinthians 10:5
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
CASTING means we FLING the thought.
- FLING the feeling…
- FLING anything that says I AM NOT HEALED!!!
- FLING any crutch that causes me to not LEAN ON JESUS!
- CAST THE THOUGHTS OF THE TRAUMA…
- CAST THE EMOTIONS THAT COME UP THAT ARE NOT FROM HIM…(cares)
- Your crutch may be BLAMING your people issues on your past.
- Your crutch may be SELF-MEDICATING
YOU CANNOT RECEIVE HIS
• the enemy has held you long enough
• the lies have held you long enough
After you FLING IT you make a decision to change things.
Healing Step #5 – FOLLOW IT
YOU MAKE THE DECISION TO LIVE
• That means responding differently…
• It means apologizing…
• It means separating yourself…
• It means changing some things…
CHANGE IS EVIDENT WHEN WE SEEK:
- TO MAKE IT A POINT TO CONECT WITH PEOPLE…
- TO DESIGN OUR LIVES AROUND SERVING OTHERS…
Healing Step #6 – FREELY GIVE IT
2 Corinthians 1:3 - 4
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
GOD WILL COMFORT YOU, but he also wants to free you to release this in others…
I AM NOT GOING TO BE OFFENDED… that person who offended me… I see they need healing…
I AM first going to pray for their healing and I AM going to look for an open door to operate…
I AM GOING TO SHARE THIS AND TEACH OTHERS… I am going to help them through this…