Times are changing, time is money, it’s just a matter of time, there’s no time like the present, and as we all know, the third time is – say it with me – a charm. A stitch in time saves nine (which is a huge blessing because otherwise there would not be a ten, eleven, or twelve). We can kill time, track time, spend time, save time, pass the time, be pressed for time, and waste time. Time is precious, time flies, time is of the essence, and only time can heal a broken heart. Wait. Are we sure about that?
We hear it all the, well…time. When we are grieving. When we are hurting. When someone causes us pain. When there is a breakdown in relationships. When we’ve lost something or someone dear to us.
“Hang in there,” people tell us, “time heals.”
Awesome. The next time I’m experiencing emotional pain, writhing with a deep down ache, I’ll just fold my hands and wait for time to heal me. I’ll keep my eye on the clock. I’ll flip the pages of the calendar. A few hours, a few weeks, a few months – it’ll all be okay after that. After all, they say that time heals. How much time, I’d like to know? How long do I have to wait to feel better? How long will I be hurting so intensely, waiting for time to heal my wounds and give me joy again? Hurry up time. Do your thing!
I’m here to tell you that while healing does take time, time does not heal. God heals. Jesus is the one who took our hurts and burdens to the cross, and because of him, we will find healing. Depending on the deepness of the wound, it may take months or years for God to do His work to completely heal our wounds. But we rely on no other healer other than the Great Physician himself. And in the midst of the healing, God is faithful to caress us with His ever-present comfort.
Time without Jesus brings on the bitter. The ugly. The shame. The guilt. The lack of forgiveness. Without Jesus, we can hold onto the hurt, and instead of healing us, time can in fact magnify our hurt, anger, or frustration and produce greater struggle than what caused our pain in the first place. Without Jesus, decades can pass, and the healing will never come. No amount of time can heal a heart holding on to bitterness.
Are you hurting? Don’t wait for healing to come. Fall to your knees and cry out to God. Allow His healing power to seep into your soul and heal you to the very core. Let the Holy Spirit work in you to make you whole again, to give you direction, and to bless you with the peace that passes understanding.
In His perfect timing, you will find healing. Praise God, we serve the ultimate healer! God is good…all the time.