Daily Devotional

Don’t Pick at the Scab

By Tanya S. Martin-James
This week's topic: The Holy Spirit

Life will, without a doubt, bring obstacles, uncomfortable situations, disappointments, pains and hurts. However, what we do with it is up to each of us individually.

We can allow it to hold us hostage and control our every thought and emotion. We can continue to rehearse it, giving it more power over our lives. Or we can make a decision to let it go.

Yes, it hurt.
Yes, they let you down.
Yes, things didn't turn out the way you expected.
Yes, you were treated poorly.
Yes, they were not there when you needed them most.

However, is dwelling on it making anything better? Is rehashing the situation in your head over and over again changing what took place? No, it just causes you to stay in an angry, unforgiving place.

The thought of forgiving the person or people that hurt you may seem very farfetched, but holding a grudge actually hurts you more than it hurts the other party. The process may not be an easy one, but God has sent a helper, advocate and comforter called the Holy Spirit to walk through it with us.

One of my favorite definitions of a comforter is one that runs to your side and picks you up. Therefore, no matter what state you find yourself in spiritually, mentally and/or emotionally, you can lean on the Holy Spirit to get you through.

I often compare a bad situation to a cut or bruise on my knee. There was definitely pain involved in me getting the cut or bruise and there is definitely a healing process that must take place. As my wound begins to heal, a protective scab appears … often times we are tempted to pick at the scab. This hinders the healing process. Yes, the scab can appear to be ugly…but it serves a purpose.

The same is true of our internal wounds – we have to accept that it (whatever your "it" is) happened, clean the wound (forgiveness), bandage the wound (prayer, seeking God’s face) and allow the scab (the Holy Spirit) to do His work and wait for the healing to take place.

However, if we pick at the scab (rehashing the situation over and over and not letting the Holy Spirit be our help and comfort), that wound will never heal or it will take much longer to heal.

So we have a choice … do you want to prolong your healing and stay in a bruised place by continuing to pick the scab away? Or will you let those wounds heal by letting it go and moving forward?

Scripture Of The Day: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me" - John 15:26 (KJV)

Tanya Martin James is the author of From Promiscuity to Proverbs 31: Getting Off the Fence of Sexual Immorality and Coffee Moments: A Work in Progress http://www.armedanddangerous.biz She also blogs at http://www.mycoffeemoments.com

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