Your Savior Is A Surgeon 🫵🏾

Finding Wholeness: The Journey of Straightening Through Faith

TLDR: In this blog post, we explore the profound message from Dr. Dharius Daniels about the importance of emotional healing and spiritual growth, using the biblical story of a woman healed by Jesus as a metaphor for overcoming personal struggles and finding wholeness.

In life, there are moments when the best strategy is simply to stand firm. As Dr. Dharius Daniels emphasizes, sometimes the strategy is to endure, to declare, "I will live and not die to declare the works of the Lord." This powerful message resonates deeply, especially when faced with challenges that seem insurmountable.

The Biblical Foundation

In this discussion, we turn to the Book of Luke, Chapter 13, where Jesus encounters a woman who had been crippled by a spirit for 18 years. Bent over and unable to straighten up, she represents many of us who carry burdens that limit our potential. When Jesus sees her, he calls her forward and declares, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." Immediately, she straightens up and praises God.

This story serves as a profound metaphor for our own struggles. Just as the woman was physically bent, many of us are emotionally or spiritually bent due to past traumas and pains. Dr. Daniels reminds us that spiritual growth requires emotional healing. We can be spiritually saved yet still carry scars from our past.

The Impact of Emotional Scars

Dr. Daniels references Peter Scazzero's work on emotionally healthy spirituality, highlighting that emotional immaturity can hinder spiritual maturity. Many individuals find themselves stuck in patterns of behavior shaped by past traumas. Our past experiences can create limitations in our lives, leading us to believe we are defined by our wounds rather than our potential.

The message is clear: we are not meant to live wounded. God did not bring us out of our struggles just to leave us in a state of stagnation. We must strive for wholeness, recognizing that our past may explain us but does not have to define us.

The Role of the Savior as a Surgeon

Dr. Daniels passionately asserts that our Savior is also a surgeon. He does not merely treat symptoms; He addresses the root causes of our issues. The church is described as an operating room where healing can occur. When we come to Jesus, we must be ready to allow Him to work on our brokenness, to bring us to a place of wholeness.

The process of healing requires our participation. Just as a patient must follow a doctor's orders, we must position ourselves to receive the healing God offers. This involves embracing certain postures and perspectives:

1. Right Perception

To heal, we must first acknowledge our wounds. Many people diagnose their conditions but fail to understand the underlying causes. We cannot heal what we refuse to see.

2. Right Posture

Healing flows from humility. We must recognize our limitations and be willing to surrender our pride. Acknowledging that we cannot fix everything ourselves is crucial for healing.

3. Right Process

Healing is a process that cannot be rushed. Dr. Daniels emphasizes that if we hurry through our healing, we risk relapse. God uses this time to build the necessary strength for us to maintain our freedom.

4. Right Partnership

The people we surround ourselves with can either accelerate our healing or reinforce our brokenness. It is essential to evaluate our relationships and ensure they lead us toward healing.

5. Breaking Patterns

Healing is not just about removing wounds; it is also about retraining our souls. We must develop new patterns of behavior that align with our healed state, rather than reverting to old habits shaped by pain.

Conclusion: The Call to Straightening

Dr. Daniels concludes with a powerful reminder that Jesus wants to do some straightening in our lives. Just as a physical injury can limit our functionality, emotional and spiritual wounds can hinder our potential. We must be willing to allow Jesus to touch our hurt places, even if it feels painful at first.

As we reflect on the story of the woman in Luke 13, let us remember that healing is possible. We are called to stand firm in our faith, to seek wholeness, and to embrace the transformative power of Jesus, our Great Physician.

In the end, the journey to straightening is not just about overcoming our struggles; it is about discovering the fullness of life that God has intended for us. Let us open our hearts to the healing that awaits us and step into the wholeness that is our inheritance as children of God.