When You Are Wounded By God's People

Tuesday included a pinch me occasion. You know, one of those moments you never thought you'd experience, and yet....

Anne Graham Lotz spent the HOUR with us on Mid-Morning!

Anne Graham Lotz



Yes, the woman with the piercing blue eyes; perfectly coiffed, shoulder-length page boy; disarming southern drawl; who walks so closely with Jesus that all who engage with her feel a lifting in their souls, invited us to pull up a chair and learn from God's Word what to do when a sacred sibling -- a brother or sister in Christ -- wounds us.

Thank you, Anne!

This was no theoretical discussion. Anne has been deeply wounded, decimated by the deliberately cruel attacks of other Christians. But the goal of her book Wounded by God's People isn't to air dirty laundry, point fingers, or get revenge. It's to gently lead any Christian with bruises on their hearts -- bruises caused by the hurtful blows of other members of God's family -- to Jesus, the only One with the power to heal.

Is that you? Have you been betrayed, slandered, dismissed, bullied, lied to, or in any other way deeply hurt by another Christian you trusted? Follow Anne's lead, modeled by our Lord Who was wounded and murdered by God's people, the very ones He came to save.

Listen to what our wise sister shared with us:

"When we are wounded we need to be very careful about what happens next. Because in the aftermath we are vulnerable to the enemy of our souls who would seek to use us to wound others. Watch out!"

"Prayer can help heal your hurt. It can take the sting away. One reason that it can help put your wounding in perspective. When I focus on God and who He is, my wounders don't seem so intimidating and my hurt somehow becomes smaller. So may I encourage you? Put the brakes on any runaway mental conversations you may be having with those who have wounded you. If you don't, and those sharp words careen recklessly across the highway of your healing journey, your wounded heart and life are going to end up as something like splattered roadkill."

"You may have been rejected by them (other Christians), but you are not rejected by Him (God)!"

"The way to healing, the way to freedom from the wretchedness of the pain, is not revenge. It is not giving them  - the ones who wounded you - the silent treatment, or cutting them off, or cutting them out. It is not rejecting God and losing your faith. God tells us exactly how to be healed. The remedy is simple but radical: 'Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.'"

Some of Anne's words -- some taken directly from the Bible, others based on biblical principles -- may be hard to take in, especially if your wounds are fresh. But I implore you to read them anyway, asking God's Spirit to unlock your heart to receive them. They will act as antiseptic, cleaning your wounds; antibiotics, preventing an infection of bitterness, hopelessness and revenge; and then finally, bandages, protecting your heart while it heals.

Of everything Anne said, these are the words that made my spirit swell:

"As painful and devastating as wounds inflicted by God's people can be, they have made me more determined to live out what I believe authentically. I am deeply motivated to know  God. I want to know Him as He truly is, not through the distorted reflection of those who call themselves by His name. And I want to make Him known to others as accurately, winsomely, clearly, and compellingly as I can...So I refuse to let religious phonies destroy my heart for the One Who loves me and draws close to me when I am wounded. I refuse to be robbed of life's greatest treasure - a personal, permanent, passionate relationship with God through faith in Jesus."

Amen, Anne!

Let's put our hands, our hopes, our lives into the sure hand of our Savior. He cares for us always -- especially when we are wounded. We can trust that, one day, He will make all things right.