Christian Stress Management: How to Heal Emotional Pain

Joseph must have experienced a lot of emotional pain in his life after his brothers sold him into slavery and then he was thrown into jail after his master's wife falsely accused him of attempted rape. (Genesis 39)

However, he seemed to have healed from his emotional pain because when he was the Prime Minister, he was able to manage the affairs of Egypt efficiently and relate with his brothers in a mature manner.

Joseph can therefore teach us a few things about how to treat emotional pain.

1. Forget

Forgetting is a very important step for healing emotional pain and wounds because Joseph even named his first son Manasseh which means to forget.

Therefore forgive and forget the people who hurt you and wounded you emotionally.

If you cannot forget them because they are still in your life the way Joseph's brother's followed him to Egypt, forget their actions.

If the urge to revenge keeps you from forgiving and forgetting the terrible things they did to you, remind yourself of Joseph's words for he asked his brothers, “Am I in the place of God?” (Genesis 50:19) when they expected him to avenge himself as he was now a Prime Minister and they were starving foreigners looking for food.

In addition, heed God's words for He tells us Dearly beloved, do not avenge yourselves. Instead, give place to wrath for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

Instead of plotting revenge, spend that energy crying out to God in prayer as you file your case in the High Court of Heaven so that He can deal with all those who have hurt you. Scriptures that you can use to pray include:

O Lord, You have seen the wrongs they have done to me, judge my case.

You have seen all their vengeance and all their plots against me.

You have heard their insults and all their plots against me.

...

Repay them, O Lord according to what they have done.

Fill them with despair and curse them!

In your anger, pursue and destroy them. (Lamentations 3:59-66)

To learn more read Christian Emotional Healing

In addition to following this step, you can also meditate on the Word of God and use it as the Balm of Gilead to heal emotional pain and wounds. Christian emotional healing Bible verses that you can confess and meditate to treat emotional wounds include:

Behold I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: Is there anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27)

God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3)

God sent His Word and healed me. (Adapted Psalm 107:20)

The Lord is blessing me and keeping me. The Lord is making His face to shine upon me and being gracious to me. The Lord is lifting up His countenance to me and giving me peace. (Adapted Numbers 6:24-26)

God anointed Jesus … to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn , to give me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of depression. (Adapted Isaiah 61:2-3)