When Others Hurt You

We’ve all been hurt by others. Sometimes, it’s a family member or a friend. Sometimes, it’s a stranger. When we are hurt, it can be hard to know how to react. As we deal with our pain, there are some things that can be helpful to do and some that can cause more harm.

Avoid lashing out in response. Try not to do something in anger that you will regret later. It’s normal to want to repay someone by treating them the same way they treated you, but that will only cause more hurt.

Instead, ask God for help and healing. Express your anger to Him, letting Him know how mad and hurt you are. When you are in deep pain because of what was done to you, you can turn to our loving God and ask Him to hold you. He loves you, and He will never leave you.
Avoid isolation. You may be tempted to believe the lie that you are all alone. It’s normal to want to pull away from others when you’ve been hurt, but isolation will only make the pain worse. You might think that no one has been where you are, but that’s not true.
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Instead, reach out to someone you trust and talk with them. Share what’s going on and seek their advice. And talk to Jesus; He is right there with you, grieving your hurt alongside you.
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Avoid using the hurt you’ve experienced to justify hurting others. When you’re struggling because someone mistreated you, you might be impatient with people in your life or feel justified brushing them off or hurting them. These feelings are normal, but remember that the people around you don’t deserve mistreatment any more than you do.

Instead, remember how Jesus Himself was mistreated. Remember that because of His great love, poured out for us on the cross, His forgiveness and justice cover you and those who hurt you. We can pursue wholeness as we
rest in His love. • Emily Acker

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• When we’ve been hurt, our first response is often to hurt others. In our
pain and anger and confusion, we tend to lash out or withdraw entirely. But
that is not the place where healing is found. Healing is found in the
compassionate arms of Jesus and His people, the church. What are some ways
we can remind each other of these truths when we experience hurt?

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• In some cases of deep hurt, the best thing we can do is set up loving
boundaries. Who are some trusted Christians you could talk to about this,
such as parents, pastors, or counselors?

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Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just
as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

Read Verses:

Ephesians 4:30-Ephesians 4:32; Romans 12:17-Romans 12:21