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Forward in
Faith
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Pastor Gary Gilpin, Olympia Washington
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BE WISE AND FACE THE TRUTH
Today, people everywhere are struggling through
life with damaged emotions. They’ve endured a lot of negative things, causing
untold damage that needs to be dealt with. But all too often, these hurts are
simply swept under the rug in an attempt to make them go away.
Through my own life experiences and from many years of helping others through
this process, I’ve discovered that although God wants to help those who really
want emotional healing, there are some very important steps these individuals
must take for themselves. If you want to receive emotional healing, one of the
first steps you must take is to be wish and to face the truth. You
can’t be set free while living in denial. You can’t pretend that certain
negative things didn’t happen to you.
I’ve come to realize that we’re experts at building walls and stuffing things
into dark corners, pretending they never happened.
I spent the first sixteen years of my life in an emotionally
disruptive environment, but as soon as I got away from that situation, I
acted as though nothing was wrong. I didn't want people to know that I came
from an never told anyone what had gone on in my private life. I just left home
and tried to make my life better on my own.
Why don’t we want to bring things like that into the open? We’re afraid of what
people will think. We’re afraid of being rejected, misunderstood, or unloved by
those we care about or that they might have a different opinion of us if they
really knew all about us.
The next step toward emotional healing is confessing your faults. I think
there’s a place for eventually sharing with someone else the things that have
occurred in our lives. There’s something about verbalizing it to another person
that does wonders for us—but use wisdom. Choose someone you know you can trust. Be sure
that by sharing your story with someone else, you don’t simply put your burden
on that individual’s shoulders. Also, don’t go on a digging expedition, trying
to dig up old hurts and offenses that have been buried and forgotten.
When I finally worked up the courage to share with someone what had happened
early in my life, I actually began shaking violently in fear. It was an
emotional reaction to the things I’d kept buried within me for so long. Now
when I talk about my past, it’s as though I’m talking about somebody else’s
problems. Because I’ve been healed and restored, my past doesn’t bother me
anymore.
Finally, you must assume some personal responsibility. Some people are trapped
in denial, afraid of what might happen if others find out the truth. But as
long as they deny the past, they’re never going to be free from it.
Nobody can be set free from a problem until they’re willing to admit they have
one. An alcoholic, drug addict or anyone who’s lost control of their life is
doomed to suffer until they’re able to say, “I’ve got a problem, and I need
help with it.”
Even though our problems may have been brought upon us because of something
done against our will, we have no excuse for allowing the problem to persist,
grow and even take control over our entire life. Our past experiences may have
made us the way we are, but we don’t have to stay that way. We
can take the initiative by taking positive steps to change things—and we can
ask for God’s divine wisdom and help. Whatever your problem may be, face it,
consider confessing it to a trusted friend, and then admit it to yourself.
Be wise and face the truth—it can be the beginning of a happier life
