What Actually Helps Us Grow?

Scripture: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

Scripture: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Scripture: “Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 5:5)

Scripture: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Dear friends,

So many people today are quietly carrying deep wounds, disappointments, fears, anxieties, and questions about healing. So many are asking, “Why am I still struggling? Why do certain patterns, thoughts, hurts, or weaknesses seem to remain even after years of prayer?” And perhaps one of the greatest temptations is discouragement.

Sometimes we pray for freedom, we ask God to heal us, and when we do not immediately see fruit, we begin believing the lie that this is simply “how things will always be.” We begin to settle into hopelessness or assume that freedom is only for other people.

But Scripture tells us something entirely different: “For freedom Christ has set us free.”

That promise still stands.

IMPORTANT FACT #1: Healing is a process led by Jesus. We often want immediate answers, immediate healing, and immediate transformation. But the Lord is not rushed, anxious, or alarmed by our journey. He sees the entire path ahead, even when we cannot. Sometimes the “thorn” we carry for a season is itself part of the healing process. God wastes nothing.

This means that growth often begins not with striving harder, but with surrender. The Lord invites us to trust Him in the middle of the process, even when we do not yet understand what He is doing. Wherever you are right now in your walk with God, He is not worried about you. He knows exactly how to lead you forward.

Start where you are. Bring to Jesus what is actually in your heart right now. The hurt. The fear. The shame. The confusion. The anger. The hopelessness. The places where you feel stuck. So often we minimize our pain, shame ourselves for feeling it, or convince ourselves that our struggles are insignificant. But every movement of the human heart matters to God.

Sometimes healing begins with something as simple as honestly telling Jesus what happened.

IMPORTANT FACT #2: Jesus approaches your woundedness with gentleness, not condemnation. Many people unknowingly live under the belief that God merely tolerates them. They imagine Him disappointed, irritated, distant, or waiting for them to finally “get it together” before drawing close.

But that is not the heart of the Father.

Romans reminds us that “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Jesus does not approach us with shame or rejection. He approaches us with compassion, patience, and mercy.

For some people, this can be very difficult to believe because they were never affirmed growing up. Many learned to judge themselves harshly long before they ever learned how to receive gentleness or love. Even when they describe their wounds, they immediately condemn themselves for having them.

But the Lord does not relate to us this way.

He is not standing over us criticizing every weakness or failure. He desires to walk with us through the healing process and show us that we are loved even in the middle of our brokenness.

And that takes time.

There is often a long journey from simply knowing truth in our minds to deeply believing it in our hearts. We may intellectually know that God loves us while still struggling to believe it in the deepest wounded places of our lives. But the Father patiently walks with us until those truths begin to settle into our identity.

IMPORTANT FACT #3: The enemy loses power when we encounter God’s love in our deepest wounds. Shame and darkness thrive in secrecy, fear, and self-hatred. But when we discover that Jesus has been present even in the places where we felt most abandoned, unseen, or unlovable, something begins to break.

This is the power of the cross.

Christ entered fully into human suffering so that no wound would ever be beyond His reach. Corrie ten Boom once said, “There is no pit so deep that Christ is not deeper still.” What a beautiful reminder that there is no darkness, no bondage, no fear, and no brokenness beyond the mercy of God.

The healing journey may take longer than we expect, but the Lord is faithful in every step of it. He is present in every hidden place of the heart, gently leading His children toward freedom.

So this week, spend some time sitting quietly with Jesus. Ask Him to show you the places in your heart where shame, fear, hopelessness, or condemnation have taken root. Invite Him into those places honestly. Tell Him what happened. Tell Him what hurts. Tell Him where you feel stuck.

And then allow Him to love you there.

The Lord is not afraid of your brokenness. He has been with you the entire time.

Praise God.