Christina Patterson

The most popular video on my YouTube channel is called “God’s Promise for a Broken Heart.” I created that video as part of a Bible study series through the book of Psalms, not knowing that it would resonate with so many people. No matter how different we are, chances are if you have a heart, at one point in your life, it has or will be broken. Maybe someone you loved betrayed you. Maybe you were rejected. Maybe you lost love in one way or another.

Either way, when your heart is broken, it often feels like it can never be repaired. The pain, hurt and anguish may be so deep you’re tempted to think you’ll never be happy again and you will be forced to make it through the rest of your life with this heavy burden of carrying your heart around in a million pieces.

I can tell you that although things may not be the same, we do serve a God who is a healer and is in the business of restoring that which is broken and making it into something beautiful. 

So in today’s video, I’m sharing 7 ways God heals a broken heart that you may find wholeness and joy once again. 

7 WAYS GOD HEALS A BROKEN HEART

The first way God heals a broken heart is with truthful vulnerability. When I say the truth, I mean our ability to admit to God that we are hurting and broken in the first place. In 1 Peter 5:6-7, we are encouraged to cast our cares on God. The verses read:

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV)

Why is pouring out our hearts to God and casting our cares on Him important to our healing heart? Because healing can’t occur if we can’t admit that healing needs to happen in the first place. 

Be it because of shame, pride, or guilt, we face the temptation when our hearts are broken to deny our brokenness. In an effort to appear strong, we may act like we’re not weak. We avoid vulnerability to protect ourselves from further hurt. But acting like we don’t need to be healed is not healing. We don’t have to be strong in front of God, but we can be honest about our hurt and brokenness with Him because a hard heart is not a healed heart.

The gift that God grants us in our relationship with Him is the ability to be honest with ourselves and Him. We can lay all our broken pieces at His altar and allow Him into the most fragile parts of our hearts. Jesus tells us it’s the truth that will set us free (John 8:32) and 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us that love rejoices in the truth. (1 Corinthians 13:6) 

No matter how bad the situation that caused our broken heart, we can honestly take it to God knowing He can handle it with love, grace and gentleness.

The second way God heals a broken heart is with forgiveness. God grants us the power to forgive those who caused our brokenness. Now you may be wondering: how can letting that person off the hook help me heal? We have to remember that forgiveness is not for the other person, but for you. Forgiveness helps you to let go of the offense so you can heal and carry on with your life. Unforgiveness on the other hand, breeds bitterness, resentment, and prolonged anger that only further harms us. We can find the courage to forgive when we keep a few things in mind:

1. God called us to forgive just as we have been forgiven. (Ephesians 4:32) It is God's desire that we remember we too need forgiving and extend that same grace. 
2. God will fight our battles for us. (Romans 12:19) It’s better to allow God’s justice to prevail than to seek out our own revenge.
3. Forgiveness is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight, but something we experience as we seek God for strength and power.
4. Sometimes the forgiveness we need to extend is not to another person, but to ourselves and God’s grace is available for that too.

The third way God heals a broken heart is through gratitude. Bitterness can cause us to miss how God is blessing us even in the midst of a broken heart. I think of Naomi in the book of Ruth who traveled from Moab to Israel when her husband and sons died. When Naomi arrives in Israel, she told everyone not to call her Naomi anymore but to call her Mara which means bitter because, in her words:

She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” (Ruth 1:20-21 ESV)

In her bitterness, Naomi failed to realize that God blesses her with a faithful daughter in law Ruth who stayed by her side (she was not alone), it was harvest season when she arrived in Israel (she was not hungry), she had a home to go back to, (She was not lost) and God had a plan even when she couldn’t see it yet (Her God was still faithful). If you’ve read the book of Ruth, you know the Lord miraculously provides for Naomi and Ruth, even in their heartbreak. 

I know it’s hard to look on the bright side when everything feels dark. When our hearts are broken, it’s easy for jealousy, resentment, bitterness and defensiveness to fester. But when we take time to pause and really see how God was and is moving and protecting us, even in our heartbreak, we can move our hearts towards gratitude. We can slowly take our focus off the pain alone and see God’s love and goodness to begin healing.

The fourth way God heals a broken heart is with love. Many times, our broken hearts come from a love lost. As much as that may hurt, we can’t forget that although we may lose the love of people, we will never lose the love of God, and that is something we should cherish and never take for granted. God is not like man. (Number 23:19) He keeps His promises, He’s faithful, and He’s beyond patient, forgiving, kind and gentle. It’s Christ’s ultimate sacrifice on the cross that proves God’s love for us. We are loved and there is nothing anyone can do or say to ever take that away. 

The fifth way God heals a broken heart is with purpose. When our hearts are broken, life can feel like a waste. We may think what good is it when we’re experiencing so much pain. But we must remember that God can turn our brokenness into beauty and our pain into purpose. Not only can God heal us, He often then uses our testimony to help others. You are not the only one who is experiencing this type of heartache and you won’t be the last. When we trust God to bring us to healing and wholeness, we become a beacon of hope to others navigating the same dark season that they too can make it out. I’m not going to pretend to know why God has you going through a particular heartbreak, but I do know that when we lean into Him for healing, He has the power to turn any situation around for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28) because His Word says so, and His Word is always true. 

The sixth way God heals a broken heart is with His presence. 

Psalm 34:18 tells us:

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34: 18 ESV)

We are so blessed to serve a God that walks with us through our valleys. Because Chrst knows suffering to the fullest, He completely empathizes with our pain. (Hebrews 4:15) No matter how heartbroken we are, we are never alone. In fact, it is the heartbroken who God is near to. When we can quiet our souls and really pay attention, we can find healing in knowing God is always with us and He will never leave us. The more we make much of God in our hearts and believe that His presence is more than enough, we find hope despite anything we may have lost on this side of eternity. 

The seventh and final way God heals a broken heart is with hope. Hope reminds us it won’t be like this forever. Roman 15:13 encourages us:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13 ESV)

Hope gives us the will to keep walking in the dark until we find the light, because we believe there is light at the end of this tunnel, even if we can’t see or feel it right now. Hope helps us not to stay stuck, but gives us reason unseen to believe the best and keep walking towards the light. And God is that light for us. He gives us reason to wake up in the morning and to continue to believe for the best. If God has given you breath today, you have hope for tomorrow because that means He’s not finished with you. 

Now I’d love to hear from you, Beloved. How has God helped to heal your broken heart? Let's lift one another up in the comments. 

Before you go, I want to invite you to this year’s Beloved Women’s Conference, an online event filled with speakers, worship, fellowship, and more to replenish women like us who do so much for our families, churches, and communities, so we can continue to build better futures for ourselves and those we love and serve. Learn more and join us at Belovedconference.org.

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If you enjoyed today’s message, please be sure to like and share with a friend because you just never know who may need some Beloved encouragement today.

As always, thank you so much for watching and until next time, be beautiful, be blessed, and be loved.

Christina Patterson is a wife and stay-at-home mom with a passion to encourage women in the love of Jesus Christ and the truth of God’s Word. When she is not folding laundry or playing blocks you will find her with her head deep in her Bible or a commentary. She holds her masters in Theology from Liberty University and is the founder of Beloved Women, a non-profit providing resources and community for women to truly know who they are in Christ: His Beloved. She blogs at belovedwomen.org.

Oftentimes, we don’t really think about what we’re thinking and two problems arise when we do that.

1. We accept any thought that comes into our minds.

2. And #2, we fail to realize that we have control over our thoughts.

We know that we don’t have to accept any thought that pops into our mind, or fall into the belief that we have no power over our thoughts, because the Bible gives us very clear instructions on how believers should think. Specifically, today I want to share with you 3 types of thoughts the Bible warns against. 

#1 Anxious Thoughts

The first type of thought the Bible warns against are anxious thoughts. A lot of the worry we experience first starts in our minds, and oftentimes is rooted in our own lack of control. This is why the Bible is straightforward about worry with a simple directive: don’t do it. Here is what Jesus had to say about worry:

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:31-34 ESV)

As believers who are children of God and joint heirs with Christ, we are called not to worry because of our connection to God. Jesus says “the pagans worry about such things.” When we trust our Heavenly Father, we don’t have to worry about those things. God will take care of His children.

Our inability to trust God with the things He knows that we need reminds me of my kids. They are always asking “are we going to eat?” “Are you going to feed us?” And I think to myself when have I ever not fed you? You’re going to eat like you always do. The same is true for us. God is going to take care of us like He always has, so there is no need to worry. Jesus called us to focus our thoughts and attention on today and trust Him with tomorrow.

#2 Worldly Thoughts

The second type of thought the Bible warns against are worldly thoughts. Romans 8:5-6 tells us:

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:5-6 ESV)

This type of worldly thinking is super prevalent in our hustle culture that feeds into the lie that our significance and satisfaction is found in the things of this world whether it be money, status, following, our looks, the opinions of others, or anything that we make an idol. But we are called to set our minds on the things of the Spirit, on the things of God. 

When the world says you need so many followers to be significant, the truth says I am intimately known and loved by the God of the universe. (Jeremiah 1:5)

When the world says you need to hustle and work to no end, Jesus says “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 ESV)

When the world says you’re not pretty enough, smart enough, strong enough, the Gospel preaches that God thought enough of us to send His Son to die on our behalf that we may be saved.

I’m not going to lie to you; the things of this world will temporarily satisfy, and distract you from the hardships of living in this world, but they cannot fulfill you. We are eternal beings that can not be completely satisfied in this temporary world, but to think that can only lead to destruction. When we set our minds on the truth that it is God who can truly fulfill us, we find life and peace.

#3 Arguments against God / Deceptive Thoughts

The third type of thought the Bible warns against are arguments or imaginations against God and His truth. These are deceptive thoughts that counter the truth of the Gospel. These types of beliefs were prevalent in the early Church which is why in much of the New Testament, you’ll read the Gospel of Jesus Christ presented over and over again because the believers at that time, were bombarded with all types of beliefs that were contrary to the truth of God and essentially trying to discredit the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In light of all this going on, Paul tells believers in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ESV)

The strongholds that Paul is talking about are beliefs and thought patterns against the truth of God. If we choose to act on these lies, then we behave in ways that are contrary to someone saved, set free, and redeemed in Christ. 

During the early church, believers had to combat beliefs that Jesus wasn’t the son of God, that only other religions held secret truths or knowledge, or Jesus wasn’t really resurrected. 

Today we combat beliefs that God’s not real, you can control your own destiny with your mind, you don’t need God, God’s not worth your devotion, or you only need love, we don’t need God. Colossians 2:8 warns us:

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8 ESV)

Thoughts not in line with the truth of Christ need to be taken captive and destroyed, because wherever the truth of the Gospel is suppressed, idolatry abounds. 

Romans 1:21 puts it this way:

“For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.” (Romans 1:21 CSB)

Our thoughts are powerful enough to lead us away from God and His truth. But they also hold the power to align our lives with His will, when we believe the truth. This is why Romans 12: 2 tells us:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2 ESV)

Your mind is so powerful, but that power was not given to you to believe lies, and serve idols. Your mind was given to you so that you could have the capacity to know God, to understand His truth, and believe in Him. 

How do we do that? We think about what we’re thinking. We take an inventory of our thoughts and ask ourselves, does this thought align with the truth of God? If it doesn’t, we don’t believe it. One of the most freeing revelations I’ve had in life is understanding that we don’t have to believe every thought we think. In fact, we’re called to take our thoughts captive, to renew our minds, and ensure even our thinking glorifies God. 

Want more Beloved encouragement? Join us at belovedwomen.org and receive my free video Bible study called “Worry-Free” to earn the 3 lies feeding your worry and the truth to set you free. Click here to download for free today.

Tired of the endless scroll on social media only to consume content that leaves you empty and wanting something more? Join Beloved TV for access to hundreds of videos to teach you God’s word and encourage your soul. Learn more and join today at  www.belovedwomen.tv.

As always, thank you so much for reading, and until next time, be beautiful, be blessed, and beloved. 

 

Christina Patterson is a wife and stay-at-home mom with a passion to encourage women in the love of Jesus Christ and the truth of God’s Word. When she is not folding laundry or playing blocks you will find her with her head deep in her Bible or a commentary. She holds her masters in Theology from Liberty University and is the founder of Beloved Women, a non-profit providing resources and community for women to truly know who they are in Christ: His Beloved. She blogs at belovedwomen.org.

If you’re like me, you’ve seen plenty of online ads promising to teach you how to “get anything you want.” The promise sounds unbelievable and appealing at the same time. How can someone teach me how not only to get something I want, but anything I want? Most of these promises are founded in the teaching of manifesting. This new age term refers to one’s ability to use their thoughts and beliefs to attract the positive outcomes in their lives that they want. The idea is that whatever you focus on, you can manifest or bring into your physical reality.

As I shared in my last video on the types of thoughts the Bible warns against, the scriptures have a lot to say about our thoughts. Manifesting raises the question of how should Christians be using our thoughts? Should we be using our thoughts for the sole purpose to attract what we want?

Well, 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us:

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV)

The Bible doesn’t tell us to use our thoughts to get whatever we want, but to make our thoughts obedient to Christ. God wants us to use our minds to glorify Him. Jesus tells us that we are to:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30 ESV)

We are called to love God with all our minds. Everything that God has entrusted to us, even our thoughts and imaginations, were given to us so that we would use our mind for His glory. 

Now you may be wondering, how does manifesting stop me from loving God the way He’s called me to? God has called us to show our love by our faith and trust in Him. 

When I manifest to attract whatever I want, I can easily take God out of the equation. I don’t need God when I can use my thoughts to control my destiny. And that is where we cross a dangerous line in our faith, because the truth is we can’t do anything without God. 

Now, most Christians know that we need God; that’s why we’re Christians in the first place. But with any type of secular philosophy, there is the temptation to try to merge the two. So we’ll move from I’m not going to manifest what I want to I’m going to manifest what God wants for me.

Still, another problem arises with that thought. Am I then using my thoughts to manipulate God to give me what I want? Because in that scenario, the power is still given to the thoughts. Our thoughts are still idols that we serve to get what we want, or what we think God wants for us. As Christians, we must always remember our thoughts are not our source. God is. 

Christians don’t need to manifest; we need to pray. So let me explain the difference:

• Manifesting is using my thoughts to attract my desired outcome. 
• Prayer is accessing the power of God to see His will manifest in my life. 
• Manifesting requires trust in myself. Can I think positively enough to produce a positive outcome in my life? 
• Prayer requires trust in God and surrender to His will. Do I trust that God loves me and has my best interest in mind so I can surrender my life and will to Him?

The main problem that we have here is we don’t trust God. We think our ways are better than His ways, and so the idea of manifesting becomes very attractive because I can control my thoughts, but I can not control God. And when you don’t truly know God, that’s scary. Why would I allow this God that I don’t trust to lead my life? So it becomes easier to lead and control my life myself, with my thinking.

Here’s the thing. Our thoughts are powerful enough to impact the curse of our lives, which is why Philippians 4:8 gives a lengthy list of the things believers should be thinking about. 

Still, we must not miss the point that our thoughts, as powerful as they are, will never supersede the will of God. And praise God for that because Lord knows my thoughts did not get me to where I am today. God did. My thoughts are not more powerful than God. Isaiah 55:9 puts it this way:

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9 ESV)

If I confine my density to my own thinking, I limit what God can do in my life. I can’t out-think God. I don’t receive God’s best for my life by thinking about the blessing, but by seeking the One through whom all good things come. (James 1:17) I’m not saying that God doesn’t want you to have that house, or car, or spouse, but He certainly doesn’t want you to idolize them. We are not called to seek out the blessing, we’re called to seek the Kingdom and it is then the Bible tells us those things God knows we need will be added unto us. (Matthew 6:33)

I think of King David who was very wealthy. Yet over and over again in the Psalm, He talks about meditating on God’s truth, thinking on God’s Word, and seeking God alone. Listen to what he wrote in Psalm 73: 25-26). He says:

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail,  but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25-26 ESV)

David wasn’t focused on his palace, although He had one. He wasn’t focused on his riches, although he had plenty. He wasn’t even focused on his power. He was focused on God because he knew there was nothing in this world greater than his God. 

When we focus our thinking to only receive the things of this world, we limit ourselves from receiving the best from our God who the Bible tells us:

“is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. (Ephesians 3:20 ESV)

We don’t have the capacity to even begin to think or imagine what God has for us. Let’s not limit ourselves to manifesting what we want, and keep our focus on God alone. He is faithful to give us everything we need and more.

Now I’d love to hear from you, Beloved! Have you ever heard of manifesting, or is this your first time hearing about it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 

Want more Beloved encouragement? Join us at belovedwomen.org and receive my free video Bible study called “Worry-Free” to earn the 3 lies feeding your worry and the truth to set you free. Click here to download for free today.

Tired of the endless scroll on social media only to consume content that leaves you empty and wanting something more? Join Beloved TV for access to hundreds of videos to teach you God’s word and encourage your soul. Learn more and join today at belovedwomen.tv.

If this post was a blessing to you, will you be sure to hit that like button and share with a friend because you just never know who might need some Beloved encouragement today?

As always, thank you so much for reading, and until next time, be beautiful, be blessed, and beloved. 

 

Christina Patterson is a wife and stay-at-home mom with a passion to encourage women in the love of Jesus Christ and the truth of God’s Word. When she is not folding laundry or playing blocks you will find her with her head deep in her Bible or a commentary. She holds her masters in Theology from Liberty University and is the founder of Beloved Women, a non-profit providing resources and community for women to truly know who they are in Christ: His Beloved. She blogs at belovedwomen.org.