Posted on by Dr. Tammi Love · 3 Comments

It’s Worth It

Emotional healing is a remarkable feat. Kudos to those living victoriously – no longer distracted by taunting triggers and stressors. For those still pursuing emotional healing, still wrestling with creative diversions, the path to overcoming can feel like repeated cycles of defeat. Traveling the unassuming terrain toward becoming healthy (again) proves to be an arduous journey. Yet it’s worth it.

Our human condition is dressed in feelings and emotions. We can’t escape the natural consequence of action and reaction. However, we can accept the challenge to secure a healthy pathway to healing, not succumbing to repeated feelings of hurt that mislead us to misery and bondage.

I’m leading a study on the prophets Elijah and Elisha in the Bible with a group of women at my church. During our study time, we discussed Elijah’s feelings of defeat while carrying out God’s plan for his life. Elijah’s emotional state led him to run away from the ensuing hurt pursuing him. Jezebel, that is. 

From an anguished heart Elijah told God in 1 Kings 19:4, “I have had enough, Lord.” Elijah felt he could no longer escape the taunting of Jezebel’s threats to kill him, nor could he escape his weariness. He felt alone and was giving up on any hope of rescue or healing. Then God responded. God released an angel to Elijah’s side to alert him to the resources right in front of him, resources God was providing as needed healing to carry Elijah through the rest of his journey. 

At Elijah’s lowest point, he recognized, through God’s reminders, that wholeness was within reach. Even though Elijah experienced unjustified hurt along his journey, Elijah also experienced healing by the permissive hand of God. It was worth it.

Along my journey I’ve learned that it’s okay to feel defeated in this life, even while having a relationship with God. The truth is, committing to live for God and not self will position us on a challenging journey that comes with feeling hurt sometimes. However, in the nick of time, God reveals Himself, alerting us to His resources and might. Those resources may include counseling services, rest, relocation, new friends, a new mindset, nourishment, visions, whispers of encouragement, an army of angels, a table of overflow prepared for us set before our enemies, revelations, and forgiveness. 

No matter the trigger or trauma we encounter, we don’t have to wallow in feelings of defeat. Wallowing will suffocate us. Our healing is in God – He is ours, and we are His.

It’s all worth it.

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

Posted on by Dr. Tammi Love · 2 Comments

Live In Your Healing!

Have worry and pain ever pushed you to exhaustion? No matter how hard we try to disguise it, exhaustion is difficult to hide. And silence is inevitable. When we finally succumb to our worry and pain, and there are no more tears to cry, silence becomes our offering to God. Our silent offering is much like a soldier waving the white flag in surrender on a battlefield in plain sight of our heavenly Father. 

Our moments of surrender are no surprise to God. He knows we will finally get tired of trying to figure everything out on our own and yield to the Creator of heaven and earth. God is patient like that.

God provides illustrations in His Word of those who surrendered their exhausted and crippled conditions to Jesus. These persons had tried everything, were rejected by family and friends, and were ridiculed and shamed by hypocrites. Yet they had strong confidence in a man whose reputation preceded him. Jesus was known as being a healer, and those who desired to surrender and lay all that ailed them at Jesus’ feet were healed – not just by His touch; but by the exercise of their faith.

Activate your faith and present your exhausted self to God. Don’t throw in the towel! Tell the Lord you’re weary. Open your heart to the Lord and confess to Him that you’re tired of living life in your own strength, and you surrender to Him who is able to turn your weariness to joy. Ask your Waymaker to heal you and make you whole. And as God is healing you, praise His name with your mouth. And live out your healing so that it points others to Christ. Remember, healing is about more than professing it or working towards it. The evidence of healing is living it.

“Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.” – Jeremiah 17:14

Walk down the road less traveled – live in your healing.

Be well. Live well.

Posted on by Dr. Tammi Love · 2 Comments

A Great Work

In the tense moments of life, when I am the hardest on myself, the moments when I feel the smallest, God gives me a nudge. He pushes through the self-inflicted interference and assures me. God tells me, “I am doing a great work in you.” His words reach down deep into the crevices of my heart where weariness finds its hiding place. They settle there like healing hands. Because God knows me, He nudges me again and repeats His words, “I am doing a great work in you.” He knows He has my attention now. And most importantly, He can feel my heart begin to lose its grip on the forces that weigh me down. Then, suddenly, I’m free once again from the traps and tricks of the enemy, to complete the work God has started in me.

Ephesians 2:10 states, “We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” God is doing a great work in us. Don’t allow selfish cravings, illusions of popularity, mental games, or irresponsibility steer you away from the good things God has planned for you, things planned before you were in your mother’s womb. We are His beautiful masterpiece.  As the artist, each stroke of God’s brush is divinely placed on our life’s canvases to tell a story of faith. We should not be comfortable portraying ourselves as counterfeits. Allow God to finish what He’s started in you. God is doing a great work in us all.  

Posted on by Dr. Tammi Love · 2 Comments

It’s Not Complicated

Is your heart screaming ‘HELP’ right now? You’ve tried and listened to every ‘popular’ suggestion, you’ve followed behind one too many celebrity-types and you’ve hidden your earnest plea to God with a dressed up and empty version, only to be disappointed. Our way to God is not a complex, filtered obstacle course. Rather, the way is simple with a simple approach. God shares with us in the Bible in Matthew 6:6-13,

“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what’s best— as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes. ” (The Message Bible)

The world could stand some earnest and honest prayers right now. Not puffed up prayers for fame and glory that only stroke our ego, but dedicated prayers of deliverance, peace and healing, recognizing God as All Powerful. Can we connect on one accord for that? The news headlines, our families and our communities are begging us to. Prayer still changes things! Clearly, there are things in our lives that need changing. Take them to God, approach Him simply.  It’s not complicated.