Grace for Your Hurt Feelings

“Are you sure you don’t want to take some pain reliever?” I asked my husband as we sat at the kitchen table. He had been dealing with a headache all morning, and his attempts at relieving it with coffee and breakfast had not worked.

The tone of his response was not what I expected, and it rattled me. My sensitive heart immediately felt hurt and my mind could not take hold of what just happened. After all, I was only trying to help.

I have always had sensitive emotions, and when caught off guard my feelings are thrown into a whirlwind.

Can you relate?

I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, but the thoughts had already begun their descent.  In my mind, I had quickly become the nagging wife who doesn’t understand her husband's needs.

Oh, how those hurt feelings can get away from us.

I imagine you too can recall a situation that caused your heart to feel bruised.

But before we allow our minds to go to unthinkable places, the writer of Hebrews reminds us to accept God’s grace. In chapter 12, verse 15 he says,

“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; ESV

As believers in Jesus, God's grace is extended to us in every circumstance. When we feel hurt, our minds can naturally steer us straight to the path of pain, anger, and even resentment.

But God stands before us with open arms, ready to absorb it all.

His grace offers us healing and protects us from bitterness. It allows us to process those feelings under the umbrella of Christ’s comfort and enables us to forgive.

Allowing those feelings to stew only causes them to grow and send our minds to places that aren’t meant for us.

God is in the business of protecting healthy relationships, which is why the second part of this passage serves as a warning. “that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it, many become defiled;” Hebrews 12:15 ESV

Giving our hurt feelings over to Jesus as soon as we feel them saves us from awful thoughts and potentially damaging relationships.

God loves and cares for you so much that he offers his grace as a line of healing and protection. It even frees us to extend grace to the one who hurt us.

That Sunday morning didn’t begin as I had hoped, but after a conversation with Jesus and my husband, I was back on the road of life.

The Lord was gracious to me, helping me to be honest, and sharing my sensitive heart in love.

He offers his kindness and graciousness to you too, and I hope you will offer him your hurt feelings today.

Prayer

Lord, having my feelings hurt is not something I always think of bringing to you, but I am asking you to help me change that starting today. Please help my hurting heart to allow your grace to come in and heal it, providing me with comfort and confidence. If I need to share my feelings with the person who hurt them, I pray that you will give me the words to express the truth in love. Thank you, Lord, for loving me so much that you care about protecting me from bitterness and resentment. Help me to forgive, and fill me with your peace. Amen