A WOUNDED SPIRIT

I am sure most all of us have had situations where we have seen someone fall or have some type of accident that struck us as funny only to have the person say to us “That wasn’t funny.” I recently ran across some stories of people who when explaining what happen most likely heard someone laugh at what they said and who may have thought, “That wasn’t funny,” Here are a couple:

"I was on my way to the doctor with rear end trouble when my universal joint gave way causing me to have an accident."

"The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him."

"I had been driving for forty years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident."

“The car in front hit the pedestrian but he got up so I hit him again"

Well what happen may not have been funny but the way they told it was. While I wish I could do that with our topic it is too serious to try and treat in a light heart way. What I am talking about is a wounded spirit.

Solomon said, "The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?" Proverbs 18:14. The same Hebrew word is translated broken in Proverbs 17:22, where we read, "...a broken spirit drieth the bones." The Hebrew word literally means "stricken." In both verses the NIV says "a crushed spirit." While it does not say that a wounded spirit can’t be borne it certainly indicates it is a difficult thing to do. I would like to notice with you what is a wounded spirit, how can you tell if someone has a wounded spirit, how our spirit can become wounded, and the healing of a wounded spirit.

WHAT IS A WOUNDED SPIRIT?

The Bible describes a wounded spirit as particularly painful wound. There are several ways the pain is described by the Bible and all of them indicate it is something that is painful and difficult to deal with. Proverbs 18:14, “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?” Here the scripture says a wounded spirit is more difficult to endure than physical sickness. Physical sickness can be sustained by a healthy spirit but a wounded spirit is difficult to sustain. I say sustain because the word bear in this verse means sustain or endure. Proverbs 17:22, “a broken spirit drieth the bones.” One translation says, “A broken spirit saps ones strength.” Referring to the wounds inflicted upon the spirit by a talebearer Proverbs 18:8, “The words of a talebearer [are] as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly”. If I can paraphrase this verse I would say, “When someone says something bad about you and you find out what they said it’s like being punched in the stomach.” What I understand Solomon to mean is a person with a strong spirit can endure a great deal even a serve illness but when a person’s spirit is wounded or broken it can have a traumatic and devastating effect upon them.

Let me illustrate this by comparing a spiritual wound to a physical wound. We know if we don’t clean a physical wound and apply an antibiotic and bandage it that it can become infected. The same is true of a wound to the spirit if it is not treated properly it too can become infected.

A normal response to a wound to our spirit is to become angry. However, if we don’t deal with anger correctly that wound can become infected and turn into bitterness. Bitterness is very dangerous to our Spirit, we are warn in Hebrews 12:15, “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” If left untreated bitterness can fester into resentment, or brooding indignation. Eventually the resentment can turn into the poison of hate.

But the additional danger of an infected spiritual wound is it can be transmitted to others. The word, “defile” means to, “Dye with another color, to stain.” The idea as I understand is if hatred infects ones Spirit it can spread. Paul describes this spreading infection as destructive infighting. Paul said in Gal. 5:15, “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.” When a person’s becomes injured or wounded it can setup a situation where retaliation seems justified. Should they retaliates then the person who is retaliated against feels they are justified if they retaliate. What you have is a situation which Paul describes as animals fighting with each other and the winner devours those that it kills.

A wound to the spirit can affect us emotionally. Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Psalms 102:4, “My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.” When it says a broken spirit drieth the bones it is saying it saps a person’s strength, and my heart is smitten and withered like grass is talking about being depressed. This type of infection if not treated could become so severe that it could possibly even lead to suicide.

A wound to our spirit can even affect us physically. Proverbs 15:13, “by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” Chang and Eng Bunker, the original Siamese Twins lived a fairly prosperous life by running a plantation and exhibitions. One day Chang died while he and his brother were sleeping; when Eng awoke, he was consumed with grief, wrapped himself around his brother and refused to the let the surgeons separate the two them, and died three hours later. It was reported later he said, “He’s my brother. We’ve been together from before we were born. I simply won’t live without him.” It is not uncommon when one spouse dies that the other spouse dies a short time later. Johnny Cash died three months after his wife died.

The weapon that wounds the spirit the most is the tounge.  From it come the words that cut deep into ones spirit and cause a wound that can affect us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.