Several years ago I fell down some stairs in my home. The pain was so great it literally knocked the wind right out of my lungs. Thankfully, my knees and shins were just bruised and not broken. But that fall left an impact on my body leaving me with deformed shins several years after the incident.  The same premise applies if we cut ourselves knowing the gash will leave a scar.

Physical wounds and scars are easier to talk about and heal from as opposed to emotional wounds and scars. But as humans, we all encounter emotional pain of some sort seeing how we live beyond the gates of the Garden of Eden.

For several years now, I’ve been riding an emotional roller coaster I never wanted to get on. With a shattered heart I couldn’t understand how I was going to live through what was now my story. My heart was broken and I wanted to numb the pain so I can just move forward in life but numbing the pain of my heart won’t mend my heart.

The mending of a broken heart does not come from man. It comes from the Messiah. God’s Word gives us remedies for our pain and we are tasked with the responsibility of embracing the scriptures applying them to our lives. In other words, God does His part. We do ours.

10 Biblical Remedies for Emotional Healing

1. Cry out to God.

Since God is the only one who can heal your heart, tell Him how much it hurts.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me. Psalm 57:2

2. Grieve.

When Lazarus died Jesus wept. If Jesus can cry because of a broken heart, so can we.

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven…

A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:1 and 3:4

This sin-infested temporary home is a battlefield of emotionally-wounded soldiers. No one is excluded from this list.

3. Be angry.

You’ve experienced an injustice, a betrayal, or defeat in some area of your life. It’s biblical to be angry, just don’t sin in the process. What this looks like for me is I have to keep my mouth shut more often than I care to, otherwise I’m adding more problems to my pain.

Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. Proverbs 10:19 NLT

See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 1 Thessalonians 5:15

4. Rest.

You’ve gone through a traumatic experience so take time to recover.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29

5. Forgive.

Learn to forgive (this is not the same as forget). If you don’t forgive them, you’re just poisoning yourself and breaking fellowship with the Lord.

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14,15

6. Pray and pray some more.

I think I’ve prayed more in these last couple of years than I have combined in my 20+ years of following the Lord.

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

7. Talk to someone.

C.S. Lewis once said, Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching’ than to say “My heart is broken.” 

If your heart has been broken like mine, then tell someone. This is an imperative step and sometimes we just want to skip it. After all, we’ll show our weaknesses to someone and they might judge us for not being strong enough. I say, “So what”. Take the risk and be transparent. The last time I checked, no woman is immune from heartache. But be discerning here. Seek out a mature Believer, a pastor, or a Christian counselor who will direct you toward God’s Word.

And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 1 Corinthians 12:26,27

8. Help others.

When I share my pain with others and then listen to them open up about their pain, something strange happens in my mind and heart—I feel refreshed. What’s happening is the Proverbs 11:25 Principle.

Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25

9. Be patient with the healing process.

I don’t like this step one bit. I want my life fixed and the heartache to go away—like yesterday. But sometimes God has us living in between Romans 8:28…

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

10. Trust God and run to the Peace-Giver.

My husband, Eric, said to me during this particular trial that I wasn’t trusting God. My response, “You’re right.” I’m having a hard time believing His great plan for my pain, I mean, life.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by. Psalm 57:1

Anxiety and panic attacks became my norm. Grasping for breath as well as peace and comfort knowing full well I couldn’t change someone’s mind or fix the problem, yet I needed peace. The only place I could find peace is by doing what the scriptures say:

You (God) will keep him (her) in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he (she) trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

Night after night as tears spilled from my eyes, I would speak this truth to my brokenhearted and despair-filled soul.

When your world feels like it’s falling apart, stay close to Jesus. God does His best work when we feel hopeless in our situation. It’s when the miracle comes.

Embrace Wisdom.

The simple list above is to help you jumpstart your healing. What point(s) do you need to apply God’s Word to your heart right now?

Live a poured out life for Christ,

Jolene Engle