Emotional Scars

By Pastor Christian on 5/6/09

This Sunday Brandon continued our Scarred Series with an outstanding message about Emotional Scars. Turning back to Genesis as his resource, Brandon picked-up the story in chapter 32 with the prelude to the reunion of Jacob and Esau. Out of this tense occasion, he posed some intriguing questions about Esau’s emotional scars. Remember, it has been twenty years since Jacob hustled Esau out of his blessing and 20-years since Esau pledged to kill his brother. For that reason, Brandon invited us to wonder what the meeting would be like. How would Esau’s greet Jacob after 20-years? Would he throttle him or hug him? Would he want o hug him, but still be too hurt? Would his deep emotional wound have festered or healed into a scar?

Well, Brandon didn’t answer the question, he only set-up the heavy laden potential. You will have to come this Sunday to find out. By the way, if you missed this message or want to listen to any portion of this series, please visit the “See and Hear” section of our website and select the “Scarred Sermon Series.”

While Brandon did not answer the question of Esau’s emotional state, he did suggest how we ought to deal with our emotional wounds.

His first piece of advice was more cautionary, “Destroy an undisciplined Appetite.” Again, using Esau as an example, he pointed us back to Esau’s reckless selling his birthright for…SOUP. Lightly mocking Esau, Brandon turned the table to us and probed “our price.” Yuck.  He further assured us that it would be paid by the Devil to make us fail. I can hardly imagine how much ruin in my own life could have been avoided with a disciplined appetite. I could probably digress here for a long time. Suffice it to say that “we are what we eat” and we must me disciplined over its content and quantity. Ugh, the things we will still “consume. . .”

His next suggestion addressed how we avoid allowing our emotional injuries from becoming festering wounds – we have to deal with our past. . .

In the simplest terms, we must repent for wrongdoing and forgive for injuries or we can not heal. The most important factor of which is ownership. Ownership of our own wrongdoing and ownership of our bitterness. When we own it, we can deal with it. If we will deal with it, then we can heal. It is as simple as a physical scar. Leaving dead flesh and germs in the wound leads to infection, infection leads to death. We have to clean these injuries out. That is why Brandon gave us the opportunity to do just that - to let bitterness go and to repent for wrong. More than half of the people in each service came forward to clean out their emotional wounds. It was good.

It is always good to confess and forgive. It is always a new start, a new hope, a new day. The power of forgiveness never ceases to amaze me, so here is what I would like to do. I would like to continue to provide a forum to let it go – HERE.

When I was living in Salem, Massachusetts, the church I attended set up confessional booths in the street. They figured it would be a conversation starter. It turned into hour long waits for crowds hundreds waiting to unburden the souls. When, telephone, postcard or website confessionals open, they are flooded by people spilling their guts. I do not expect these reactions. I’m not even sure they are good. What I would like is one more point of accountability. One more place where you can make a pledge. Don’t worry, it can be TOTALLY anonymous. Just enter “anonymous” in the name if you are not comfortable. We do not need your dirt. Please be thoughtful.

It is good to confess. It is good to forgive. Turn your emotional injury into a scar of remembrance. . .

Blessings,

Christian

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