The Wounded Spirit - part 2

Proverbs 18: 14 (NKJV) says, “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit (a wounded spirit)?”  Our natural spirit can withstand much pressure and stress, but when our heart/spirit gets wounded, crushed, shattered or bruised, we have a difficult time recovering and moving forward. 

Our spirit is hurt when it is wounded. It is like trying to walk when our leg is broken. We are trying to live and overcome challenges, but part of our being is injured or festering with hurt.

Psalm 38: 1-22 (NKJV) really exemplifies this whole situation well.

• O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!
• For Your arrows pierce me deeply, and Your hand presses me down.
• There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, nor any health in my bones because of my sin.
• For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
• My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness.
• I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
• For my loins are full of inflammation, and there is no soundness in my flesh.
• I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.
• Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You.
• My heart pants, my strength fails me; as for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.   
• My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, and my relatives stand afar off.
• Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, and plan deception all the day long.
• But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; and I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
• Thus I am like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth is no response.
• For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God.
• For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”
• For I am ready to fall, and my sorrow is continually before me.
• For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin.
• But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; and those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.
• Those also who render evil for good, they are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.
• Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me!
• Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

In this passage, the psalmist is feeling chastened by God and is expressing the emotions that come with it. Many of his experiences and feelings are typical to one who is experiencing a wounded spirit. Our wound can feel like an arrow piercing deeply or a hand pressing down on us, not allowing us to rise above our situation.

Sometimes we can experience anger, frustration, negative attitudes, troubling thoughts, or fear. The psalmist says that he mourns all day long. There seems to be oppression on every side, depression, and feelings of paranoia. The writer is comparing these feelings to sin, but a wounded spirit can truly feel the very same.

Wounded people often then wound others. They can feel like victims and tend to blame everyone else and everything else for their difficulties. Those with wounded spirits continually experience feelings of self-pity, bitterness, pain, and lack of worth. This affects one’s words, actions, mannerisms, and truly one’s whole existence.

In verses 1-5, we see how arrows (referring to spoken words) can pierce or penetrate into us. They can go so deep that we actually feel physically sick, guilty, crushed, rejected, trapped or numb. Proverbs 18: 4 (NKJV) says, “The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters. The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.”  Words can be a blessing or they can be a curse, a help or a hindrance, a joy or a sorrow. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. (Proverbs 18: 21)

Mothers of Nations, do these verses we have read today give you insight into some of your own life experiences?  Next week I will share some incidents from my own life where I learned about how the Lord could heal wounded hearts.

Dr. Sharon Predovich