If you are hurting on the inside and you want to cure emotional wounds, you can help yourself by doing the following:
Share your Problem
Joseph talked about his emotionally painful situation to Pharaoh’s butler when he told him that he had done nothing that deserved being thrown into the jail house dungeon and asked him to mention his case to Pharaoh. (Genesis 40:14-15)
Therefore, talk to a Christian counselor so that you can gain valuable insight of what you need to do to be totally healed. You can also talk to a lawyer to help you address any other issues surrounding your emotionally painful situation.
As you talk to people, do not share your emotional pain with everyone because we can see that Joseph did not share his problems with Pharaoh’s baker who was going to die. Therefore be selective and pray for discernment in your sharing.
If you do not have a human being to share your problems with, talk to Jesus because His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor. (Isaiah 9:6)
Learn from Joseph who after being unfairly incarcerated, did not become an unfriendly, antisocial prisoner and isolate himself in his prison cell. We know that he was friendly within the confines of the prison walls because on the morning that he found Pharaoh’s butler and baker looking sad, he asked them “Why do you look so sad today?” (Genesis 40:6-7)
After discovering the source of their pain, he offered to help them by telling them, “Please tell me your dreams.” (Genesis 40:8) Note that he did not have to do this because he could have kept his dream interpretation gift to himself and let them continue suffering.
Joseph did not also say to himself on seeing their sad countenances, “Oh my, the butler and baker look very sad today, but I won’t be bothered because I also have my own problems.”
Therefore, learn from him and spend a portion of your time and energy helping others who are in emotional pain even if your own emotionally painful situation has not changed. Do not thus isolate yourself in your misery or let your misery isolate you. Purposely schedule time to socialize and help other people.
Another person to emulate is Naomi because she too was suffering from emotional pain after losing her husband and two sons but she focused her energies on helping her widowed daughter-in-law Ruth find another husband. (Ruth 3:1-4)
So, do not throw self-pity parties and drown yourself in your own sorrows oblivious to all the other people in your community who are also hurting.
Open your eyes like Joseph and Naomi did, even if they are still wet with tears, and look around to see who else is suffering and how you can help them because God tells us that what He wants is us to Share your bread with the hungry and that you provide shelter for the homeless, clothe the naked and help your relatives for then you light shall break forth like the morning and your healing shall come quickly. (Adapted Isaiah 58:7-8)
Joseph’s light broke forth like the morning when Pharaoh sent for him from the prison and appointed him as Prime Minister of Egypt after he interpreted his dream correctly. This meeting of theirs was a result of Joseph taking the time to help Pharaoh’s imprisoned butler.
Naomi’s light also broke forth when Boaz married Ruth and they got a baby boy named Obed whom she nursed. This marriage of theirs was the result of her helping Ruth connect with Boaz. (Ruth 3:1-4)Therefore, hasten the healing of your emotional wounds by helping others who are hurting.
Understand also that by helping them you will also be helping yourself by taking your mind off your problems and you may also receive a blessing like Joseph did when he helped the butler and baker with their dreams because the butler later recommended him to Pharaoh as an awesome dream interpreter.
In addition, helping others will also remind you of your blessings when you see those who have even worse problems than yours. For instance helping Pharaoh’s baker who would be killed in three days most probably reminded Joseph that although he was a falsely imprisoned slave, he was still blessed with the gift of life since no one was going to murder him in three days.
Understand also that helping those who are hurting emotionally does not have to be expensive since it can simply involve listening to them as they talk about their problems and get them off their chest.
Therefore, help those with emotional wounds of their own regardless of whether they are terminally ill in hospitals or living in shelters for battered spouses by echoing Joseph as you say, “Please tell me ...” (Genesis 40:8)
If there is nothing that you can do for them physically because of your own limitations, simply pray for them and with them because we are told, Pray for one another so that you may be healed. (James 5:16)
This blog post is a book excerpt from Christian Emotional Healing which uses principles and examples from the Bible to teach you how to treat inner pain and cure wounded feelings. This Christian self-help book also teaches you how to:
*Cure fear
*Cure confusion
*Cure bitterness
*Cure loneliness
*Cure anxiety and worry
*Cure envy and jealousy
*Cure sleeping problems
*Cure underachievement
*Cure anger and aggression
*Cure inability to trust God
*Cure passivity and laziness
*Cure lack of peace of mind
*Cure sadness and depression
*Cure guilt and condemnation
*Cure powerlessness and weakness
*Cure feeling defeated and trapped
*Cure discouragement and hopelessness
*Cure low self-esteem, shame, and self-hatred
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