June 17, 2009 5:45 AM
Elisabeth Elliot on wounded hearts
As always, I'd like to encourage you to include Elisabeth Elliot in your morning reading. She gives you a lot to think about during the day. Subscribe to her daily devotions here. You can also see a bunch of my favorites here.
Wounds Can Change Your Heart
Living in a world broken by sin, we suffer wounds of many kinds. Perhaps the most painful are not the physical ones but those of the heart. No one has power to hurt us more deeply than somebody we love, somebody we counted on to understand and support us. But there are two ways to receive wounds. One leads to larger life. The other leads straight to death, that is to destruction--of those we influence as well as of ourselves.
By grace we can receive the wounds of our friends as our Master received them--in the strength and for the glory of our heavenly Father. Being sinners ourselves, however, we need to be brought low at the cross. Nothing will do this better than some piercing heart-wound, provided we seek Christ because of it and pray Him to purify us.
There is another way--the world's way. It is anger, resentment, retaliation, retreat into pride and self-justification. These are quite natural, and quite lethal. The choice is ours.
"The wound which is borne in God's way brings a change of heart too salutary to regret, but the hurt which is borne in the world's way brings death" (2 Cor 7:10 NEB).
Posted in Elisabeth Elliot, Inspiration | Permalink
Comments
Oh Barbara, thank you for this. I have recently been wounded by someone I loved and counted on. After grieving and weeping for many weeks, I am trying to find healing and peace. Today I met with a priest and heard him say almost the same thing I have just read here by Elizabeth Elliott. I think I had better heed these words . . .
Posted by: Kathy | June 17, 2009 7:36 PM
