Redeeming Trauma

One of the world’s saying is “If it doesn’t kill you, it will make you stronger.” There is a biblical principle hidden in this statement of redeeming the circumstances of life. ¹The Passion Translation Bible says it this way, “So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose.” ²The New International Version says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Paul prayed for a tormenting situation to be removed from him. God answered his prayer by giving him grace. God used this weakness to protect Paul. It caused him to become an overcomer who would not fall victim to the spirit of pride that comes from knowing God.

Elijah declared a drought on Israel because King Ahab setup altars to other gods. Elijah had to live in hiding for those 3 ½ years with a widow woman. God redeemed the death threat on Elijah’s and God’s others prophet. After the drought, Elijah destroyed 450 prophets of Baal. This allowed Israel to come back and serve God.

Jesus got up in his hometown church and declare the Word of God. Because of the anointing on him, the people got upset and questioned his right to speak God’s Word. He explained that God sent him but because they could not hear his words, he wasn’t sent to them. The religious people were furious and drove him out of town and tried to throw him off a cliff. He walked away and proceeded with his 3 ½ year ministry that changed the world.

God’s Power is Release through Conflict!

God’s power is released when we walk through trials and problems as overcomers. You might come out with a limp like Jacob, who wrestled with God. This process of wrestling with God produced a name change from Jacob to Israel. This allowed God to create the great nation of Israel.

All trauma that try to destroy us, when turned over to God, will cause us to be overcomes. There are rewards for overcoming. Once we overcome a problem, we then have the power to help others overcome. We win battles in God’s kingdom with this principle. We get to redeem what Satan meant for our harm. This is one of God’s strategies of redeem the world and bringing His kingdom on earth. He just needs volunteers who are willing to walk through the hard times.

Turning the Other Cheek!

Here is a kingdom way of looking at trials. When someone puts a dent in my car door at a parking lot, I have a choice how I react. I could get mad and curse that person. I could kick their car. When I stopped and prayed, God instructed me to claim them for His kingdom. Now I pray for their salvation. You touch me or my property, then you touched one of God’s kids. This means when someone tries to hurt me or my property, then that gives me the right to pray for that person. My prayers will open the door for God to deliver and involve Himself in this person’s life. It is interesting that I haven’t had any dings in my door after doing this for a year. This is the principle of turning the other cheek, which means let God deal with that person. Your job is to walk in God’s love towards them.

I did this with some signs in people’s yards that irked me every time I drove by them. I asked God how to redeem these people who appear to have drunk the political Kool aid. He said to release His love on them and pray for His kingdom to come in their lives. After doing this for a month, I was driving by this home and a black man came out the door. All of a sudden, my heart melted in compassion for this family and what they had gone through. I thought about living in a white neighborhood that you never associated with and how that had to affect them. Now when I drive by their house, I pray for healing of all the trauma’s they have gone through and that God’s love would heal their hearts. God not only redeemed my attitude, He opened doors for healing for this family through my prayers.

Prayer

Father God,

All these trials and difficulties that have tried to keep me captive, I ask that you show me the way out. Redeem all these hurts that were meant for my harm. I choose to walk in Your love towards others. I ask to see my life through your view and not my own limited understanding and experiences. Remove any and all damage from these traumas. Redeem them and teach me to be an overcomer who knows how to redeem what the world throws at me. Remove the triggers and negative reactions these events have caused in my life. Replace them with Your love and healing power of restoration. I choose to trust You and the price Jesus paid. I speak grace, grace, grace to the mountains of obstacles and trust that Jesus’s way is the best way to redeem all damages from my life. Amen!

Scriptural References

Romans 8 all; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; 1 Kings 17 & 18; Luke 4:1-28; Genesis 32:22-32; 35:10; Luke 6:29; Revelation 12:11; Matthew 6:10; Zechariah 4:6-10

Symptoms of Trauma

I am posting a brief list of how traumas affect you. I had Post Trauma Disorder (PTSD) for close to 39 years before I was diagnosed with it. I had no idea that the life events in my home and in the United States Air Force had caused trauma.

• You don’t react like other people react to emotional moments.
• You are void of feelings towards events and situations that would cause others to panic.
• You jump at loud noises.
• You don’t remember years of your childhood or even people who were a part of your life.
• You don’t feel connected to your family, co-workers, church groups, etc.
• You may have memories of past events, but there is a disconnect on what you felt. I used to laugh about the service and what happened to me. I did not realize that I had shut down and totally disconnected with people and life. I could function and look normal, but I was a walking Mr. Spock (from Star Trek).
• You want to be in control so you limit your life around things you can control.
• You stay in a box of the familiar which limits your life.
• You don’t trust anybody. This cause you to be isolated and unable to receive love. You think you are just being wise about the people who you associate with, but in actually it sets up a wall that keeps everyone at a distance. This causes more isolation until it seems like you are invisible to others.
• You were told by your family that you are different, stupid, funny, boring, etc. Then to protect yourself from these words, you became more disconnected and would act that way around them. This causes a cycle of rejection and not fitting in the world.
• You don’t want to go to your class reunion. Just thinking about going and seeing all those people in the past causes you to panic or get angry.
• You act normal, but then someone comes and pushes a button that triggers anger or causes you to want to run away and hide.

These are just a few of the problems that come from traumas. There is all kind of information on what trauma is and how to overcome it. I went to counseling for over 2 years, which help me see outside the box of trauma. It was only by the grace of God that I could function in this world and keep pushing forward to receive healing. You got this. Don’t be afraid to open the emotional doors required to walk through this process. It will be messy for a while, but it is worth walking through to freedom from isolation and depression.

References

¹Scripture quotations marked (TPT) are taken from The Passion Translation® Copyright © 2017 by Broadstreet Publishing® Group LLP. Used by permission. All rights reserved. thePassionTranslation.com

²Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The Full Life Study Bible – New International Version, Copyright © 1992 by Life Publishers International.