Nov 21, 2019
Episode Summary:
If you have ever felt broken, worthless, or unable to be used by
God, then today is the perfect show for you.
(And by the way, if it sounds like thunder in the background,
there IS thunder in the background. Both Suzie and I were in the
midst of terrible storms when we recorded this. But the show must
go on.
In this episode, I spoke with my friend, Suzie Eller, about how
God can heal our broken places. Suzie and I discussed how we all
have areas of brokenness in our lives, and so often God uses those
areas of brokenness to become areas of ministry after God has come
in and healed us. By inviting God into those broken places, God
changes us, our direction, our heart, and even the future
generation
Healing is always a process. While we never become completely
healed this side of heaven, we can experience increasing levels of
healing over time. Healing was exactly part of the reason Jesus
came, and the closer we become to God, the greater the levels of
healing we receive. The power of Jesus’s death on the cross is not
in anything we do, but instead in what He did for us. By healing us
in our areas of brokenness, we can then comfort others who may go
through similar situations. Suzie discussed three things we don’t
have to do for our healing: earn God’s love, do this alone, or run
away.
Quotables from the episode:
- Whenever we see the word “will” in Scripture, that is a promise
from God.
- Knowing God changes us. But it doesn’t just change us, knowing
Him changes our direction, it changes our heart, and it changes the
next generation.
- Healing goes on for a lifetime. We never become fully healed
this side of heaven.
- Our story matters a lot, and our woundedness looks different
from person to person, but Jesus came for us. We begin the
healing process by embracing the truth that no matter what it looks
like, He has us on His heart, and He also knows how to heal
us.
- Our woundedness can look very different from person to person.
We can be wounded from people, from the church, from sin, from
loss...
- Jesus knows where our woundedness lies and how to heal us. If
we could have healed ourselves, we would have. Jesus meets us where
we are.
3 Things You Don’t Have to do for Your Healing:
- You don’t have to earn God’s love. You don’t have to go
anywhere. He meets you right where you are.
- You don’t have to do this alone. God’s got you. Just like when
Peter began to sink, Jesus reaches out to help us.
- You don’t have to run away. We run away from a lot of things.
We run toward comparison and away from God. We run away when we
think we’ve made a mistake. But we never have to run away from God.
Jesus said He has come for us. If you are running away, you don’t
have to run anymore. Just stop, turn around, and move toward
Him.
- When God says “I have come…” or “I have overcome the world…” or
“I will fight for you…” takes the pressure off our own shoulders,
and puts the responsibility on God’s shoulders.
- Part of Jesus’s mission statement was to come to heal us.
- A relationship with God is a discovery process of becoming who
He knew all along that we would be.
- Forgiveness is crucial in order to mend our heart. It’s hard,
but it’s not something we have to do, but rather, that we
get to do. It’s a surrendering process to what God wants
to do in us.
- Forgiveness is opening the door to say, whether you apologize
or not, whether you understand or not, I’m going to release you so
that I can run wholeheartedly after who God wants me to be.
- We tend to ruminate in our thoughts on how we want situations
to go. We give way too much mental real estate to unforgiveness,
which keeps us from being free. That’s when we need to pray, “Lord,
do in my heart what I cannot do for myself.” God will change our
heart as we surrender it.
- Our heart is a little bit like a jigsaw puzzle, and bitterness,
resentment, and unforgiveness are pieces of the puzzle. As we hold
onto those pieces, our heart (the puzzle) can never become whole
until we give God all the pieces so that He can come in and mend
and then it becomes a beautiful picture. How frustrating is it when
we go to put a jigsaw puzzle together and we get to the end and one
or two pieces are missing? It’s up to us to allow God to have all
the pieces of our broken heart in order to mend it and allow it to
become a beautiful picture.
- We are not limited by one chapter of our story. We can live in
that one chapter, or we can look at that one chapter and see it as
just a short portion of our life. That one chapter doesn’t have to
be our destiny.
- Our broken heart doesn’t just impact ourselves. It also impacts
those around us.
- We aren’t meant to heal alone. We can take advantage of good
Godly counsel, and friends who will speak the truth in love. Go to
the people who will shine a light into our dark places that will
help us grow.
- You are worth fighting for. The one truth is: God sent His son
for us so we can be free. He said you were worth fighting for.
- Imagine yourself in a competition in a boxing ring, but picture
God in that ring with you, wearing boxing gloves to fight for us.
He is greater than us, and knows the perfect way to help.
- The power of the cross is not in what we can do, but in what
has already been done for us. He loves you like crazy. You are not
alone. He’s in this with you.
Scripture References:
- Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind
will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of
the Lord’s favor has come.”
- Matthew 6:8, “Don’t be like them, for your
Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”
- Ephesians 1:19-21, “I also pray that you will
understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who
believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from
the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand
in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority
or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also
in the world to come.”
Recommended Resources:
- “The Mended Heart: God’s Healing for Your Broken
Places” by Suzie Eller https://amzn.to/2KJoZpA
- “Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey
Through Depression” by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the
Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award https://amzn.to/2zB0e7J
- “Hope Prevails Bible Study” by Dr. Michelle Bengtson,
winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award
https://amzn.to/2yMdN46
Social Media Links for Host and Guest:
For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at:
Radio Show Host:
http://graceandtruthradio.world/shows/your-hope-filled-perspective/
Guest: Suzanne Eller
Suzanne (Suzie) Eller is an ECPA bestselling author, podcaster,
and popular media guest. She co-hosts, along with Holley Gerth and
Jennifer Watson, the More Than Small Talk podcast. Suzie
has written 10 books and is writing her latest, Joy
Keeper, which will be launched in 2020. She’s mom to three
grown children and their spouses, wife to Richard, and “Gaga” to
six beautiful littles under the age of eight. When she’s not
writing, she’s with her family, hiking, cycling, kayaking, dancing
with her littles at the Farmer’s Market.
Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson