How to Cure Brokenness in the Soul

by Barbara Latta 

Why do we struggle with regret, condemnation, envy, depression, rejection, inferiority and a host of other negative emotions?

Because of the root of brokenness in the soul.

Our lives began with the blank slate of brokenness. Until a person is born again the spirit is dead and separated from God. The soul (mind, will and emotions) has no hope. God gives us a new nature when we become born into His family through the blood of Jesus. But we can still live as Christians and accept these mental games as truth when we believe the lie about ourselves. 

Brokenness doesn’t have to come to us in drastic measures for it to hurt us. A cut finger is broken just like a fractured bone. The cut in the skin may be small, but if left untreated infection can set in and result in blood poisoning. Both the leg and the finger skin are broken and need treatment for healing.

What may be considered small events in our lives can still hurt. The root cause of the pain still needs to be treated so that it doesn’t fester into a poisoned soul. Otherwise, another notch is cut into an already existing wound. 

The beginning of my brokenness started with feelings of unworthiness. When I was a child, I was skinnier than most children. When comments were made of how thin I looked, the words penetrated my mind like a sword. What I heard was, "Something is wrong with you." Athletics was not my gift, so when teams formed for playground games, no one wanted me on their team. Since I was the leftover, the team who had the last turn to choose got me. I made good grades in school, but not good enough to win a scholarship for college. Even a few tenths of a point off won’t get it. So these events combined with others made me feel like I wasn’t good enough for anything I tried to do. 

I have come to realize that those feelings of not being good enough followed me through my life and caused negative reactions to events. When I wasn’t treated right, I lashed out at those I love and responded incorrectly in an attempt to gain acceptance.

In our physical bodies, we apply ointment and bandages to a cut finger so the healing process can begin. A cast is placed on a broken leg to keep the bone straight as it mends. But our broken emotions can only be healed by applying God’s value to our minds. Romans 12:1-2 NKJV tells us,

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

These instructions give us steps we can use to see ourselves as God sees us.

• Don’t conform to the world. We shouldn’t accept the opinions of a fallen world as the measuring stick for our value. The society we live in is filled with negative influences that draw us away from God. Entertainment with anti-god philosophies, biased news reports, social media posts that draw comparison, and the hurtful words of other people are not voices we should listen to. 
• Change thought processes. A daily mental banquet feasting on what our heavenly Father says about us is the only way to combat what we are surrounded by on a constant basis. Transformation is a process, not a one-time deal. Philippians 4:8 tells us what to think about.
• Know that God’s will is for our good. Jesus told us He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). When we live with the effects of a hurt soul, we do not thrive. Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:18 that we can know the hope of His calling and the riches of our inheritance.

Why do we let the opinions of other fallen souls create more brokenness in ours? The remedy for brokenness is to rely on the only opinion that matters. And that is God’s.

We can guard against further hurts by knowing our inheritance in Christ. Jesus took rejection so we can be accepted (Ephesians 1:6). We cast aside thoughts of unworthiness by taking them captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). We are in a spiritual battle and we win with spiritual weapons.

When the root problem of negative emotions is identified, we can find the solution to healing.

Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27 NKJV).

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If you have not yet become a child of God, read the tab on this blog "Knowing God" for scriptures to lead you to Him. 

How do we cure a broken soul? (click to tweet)

When the root problem of negative emotions is identified, we can find the solution to healing (click to tweet)