Title Doctrine Sermon (10/19) - Overcoming Wounds
Title: Overcoming Wounds
Text: Psalm 38:1~22
Date : 2008. 10. 19. Sunday Day Worship
It's not easy to talk to someone who hurts a lot. First of all, the conversation isn't interesting. It is a sad and poignant story. A person with a lot of wounds is sensitive, so it is impossible to have a cool conversation. We have no choice but to talk very carefully. Because another injury may occur. Even if you want to say something, you have to be patient and listen to the hurtful story until the other person is ready. Imagine repeating this story over and over again.
The text is “The story of David’s wounds” The overall atmosphere is gloomy. In the text, we can see the fear of God (verse 1), self-blame for the wounded (verse 5), and the sense of alienation of being abandoned (verse 21). He is emotionally very unstable. There is no stability in the wounded heart. Without stability, the quality of life decreases. I am not happy because It is terrifying to think of living with these wounds for the rest of your life without resolving them.
So, how can you overcome the hurt? No matter how much I looked, I couldn't find a way to heal wounds in the text. You can only see what causes the wound to persist. If you eliminate the cause, the wound will heal with time. So if you don't see a cure for your wounds, don't worry. So, how can you eliminate the cause of a persistent wound?
First, you must give up your attachment to yourself.
We find too many references to David himself in the text. “My wounds are rotting and stink” (verse 5). “People turn away from me because of my wounds” (verse 11). “People are plotting to kill me” (verse 12). “I took advantage of my weakness. My enemies are running rampant” (verse 19). Compassion or attachment to yourself is evidence of how weak you are. Self-obsession is also what causes the scar to persist.
In Psalm 18, he sang and confessed to God. “O LORD, my strength, I love you. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my rock in which I take refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my stronghold” (Psalm 18:1-2). ) is all about God. When I am strong, I talk a lot about God and a lot of positive stories full of hope. However, when I am weak because of many wounds, I often talk negatively about myself. Obsession with yourself is a trap that plunges you into a swamp of unhappiness. I hope you do not fall into the trap of self-obsession, self-pity.
David was obsessed with his own place and suffering. “I am sick and sad” (verse 6) “There is no sanctuary in my body” (verse 7) “My body is weary and my heart is very anxious” (verse 8) “My strength is gone and my heart is broken They run wild” (verse 10). This attachment creates an illusion. “My wounds are the biggest. No one suffers like me. Do you know my pain?” If you fall into this illusion, you avoid people and hide in your own cave. Ultimately, self-obsession leads to severance in relationships and isolation.
I too have had a hard time falling into this kind of compassion and obsession. The God I met at this time was not a God who quietly came to me and comforted me. He was a God who made people stay alert by making unexpected things happen. “Come on, my friend! Stop swearing!” To be honest, there is no comfort from the Lord in self-obsession. There is only confusion and isolation. So, be alert and be strong.
Second, we need to clear up misunderstandings about others.
Obviously David was the victim of King Saul. However, as his awareness of harm grew, misunderstandings arose. He fell into the following misconceptions:
As long as misunderstandings exist, the scars will last. Only when misunderstandings are cleared up and understanding is sufficient, the wounds will disappear. You must actively try to understand. A common misconception is disease. However, if there is usually no misunderstanding, but if you are misunderstanding because of a wound, it is a sign of weakness. He will have to try on his own, but the people he is with should help him.
Most people think, "I don't make any misunderstandings." But in reality, we often live in misunderstandings. How do you know if you are a misunderstood or not? Please answer “yes or no” to the following questions. 1) I tend to trust what people say. I tend to trust people who are in conflict with me. 2) I tend to actively engage in dialogue to resolve conflicts. 3) Trust the conflicting party more than others. 4) You trust your own words more than those you hear indirectly. 5) I trust what I hear from the conflicting party more than I feel. 6) I trust the explanation of the conflicting party more than my reasoning and interpretation. If you answered “yes” to the above questions, you are not misunderstood. Even if there is a misunderstanding, he has the ability to solve it. However, anyone who says “no” is a misunderstood, regardless of their convictions. It takes a lot of effort.
Repeat. As long as there is a misunderstanding of the other person, the hurt lasts. I need to check that my convictions are not based on misunderstandings. Please try to actively engage in dialogue to clear up any misunderstandings. Trust the words of the conflicting party with love and humility and bury all previously heard words, thoughts, and interpretations. Such a person develops a personality in the process of overcoming the wound.
Third, we must throw away our prejudice against God.
David had a prejudice against God. He thought that he was a God who rebuked and chastised God (verse 1). He also thought of himself as a God who oppressed him (verse 2). And he thought that he was a God who might forsake him (verse 21).
This prejudice seems to have been formed during the hard times. The years of being unfairly pursued by King Saul were like being beaten before God and like being abandoned. It seems that these years have left me with emotional scars that have led me to have a prejudice against God. Suffering brings many benefits to faith. But it can also lead to emotional crisis. We need to be careful not to leave emotional scars in these difficult times. Also, you should not criticize God based on your limited experience.
God does not punish us. God is patient with us, does not reprove us often, and forgives quickly (Psalm 103:8-11). Therefore, do not make God a narrow-minded person. Our God is not the one who checks us every moment, scrutinizes every case, and rebukes only the things we did wrong. Some of those who have been grievously wounded by this style of parent or leader think, “So will God.” This thinking is prejudice. Thinking that we are punished is a feeling we feel because we live with our wounds in a state of being cut off from God.
I give you an important recommendation. Don't expect God to punish others (who hurt you). Such a heart is not pleasing to God. I also want to show love and forgiveness to others just as God loved and forgave me. If someone says, “God, please rebuke him for hurting me. Please help him realize how wrong he has done.” If you plan to get up on the day when your prayers are answered, you may not be able to get up with your scars in your life. Because God is not the one who punishes and scolds others the way we want them to.
If you really want to be freed from your wounds, please stand in God's position. We must love and forgive like God (Psalm 35:13, 109:4). When we stand in God's position to love and forgive, the power of wounds dies. Wounds that have lost power heal with time. Please, I ask you to stand in God's position to overcome your wounds.