Error and Effort: Righting the Wrongs of Trauma

From family, we learn how to see ourselves, following their pattern of thought, behavior, and interaction. In our families of origin, we form an identity, cultivating an understanding of who we are. Even in times of trauma we learn our strengths and areas for growth. Through these family connections, our relatives model how to engage with others. Those include relationships with God, as we gain a sense of what it is to relate to Him as Father.

Our spiritual perceptions are often informed by the quality of relationships we experience with our parents, siblings, and those in our earliest inner circle. When those relationships have been marked by trauma, dysfunction, and codependency it can cloud the lens through which we see God.

Our traumatic experiences may cause us to see God as untrustworthy. We may not perceive Him as safe, and feel as if we have to provide for and protect ourselves from uncertainty at all costs. Our history of vulnerability and need to shield ourselves against further violation interrupts our ability to receive the care and the rest that Jesus offers.

God is aware of the family history that has been peppered with trauma and dysfunction. He is intimately familiar with our challenges, and how they contribute to the negative beliefs that have produced our worldview.

The Holy Spirit knows our hearts, how our past has brought us to the present, and why we wrestle with the truths of Scripture and the reality of our experience. It seems contradictory, but it doesn’t change God’s lovingkindness toward us (Jeremiah 31:3). His goodness and mercy follow us, seeking to restore what our own efforts at self-protection could not.

God wants to bind the broken parts of our souls (Isaiah 61:1-4). He is concerned with us and how we wrestle with what happened, what didn’t, and what should have. He doesn’t want us to stay there, however. Jesus wants us to bring everything to Him.

The Holy Spirit comforts and counsels us in our pain through the written Word of God. We don’t have to persevere in these thoughts, but rather acknowledge the Lord, the Spirit of Wisdom, Who alone can clarify what is otherwise confusing.

While intrusive memories and thoughts may present when triggered, we don’t have to be controlled by them. We can ask the Lord to give us fresh perspectives and insights. He won’t leave us stuck or without a path forward but will show us the truth of His Word. We must be willing to yield, mobilize, and obey whatever He says.

Consequences and rewards.

We know from reading Scripture and living life that everything has a consequence or reward (Galatians 6:7-8). Even the traumatic incidents that aren’t acknowledged or apologized for will still be met with a consequence, but the matter of justice isn’t ours to oversee.

When we forgive, we demonstrate that we love and trust the Father’s Sovereign ability. He is righteous and just, and able to grant those who harmed the sorrow that produces godly repentance, accountability, and the appropriate consequences.

God isn’t asking us to ignore our feelings or the reality of what we’ve encountered. He is asking us to trust Him completely. We must remember that Jesus is more than able to absorb our cares and handle the consequences and the conditions that caused the pain. The same is true for where we have acted out our trauma narratives and limiting beliefs, causing pain to others, even when unintended.

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. – Psalm 103:12, NIV

Next steps to recover from trauma.

Christ covers what you cannot. The same Savior who forgave your sin has also made atonement available for those who have wounded your soul. The burden isn’t yours to bear, as you have a Wonderful Counselor in Jesus and access to counseling professionals on this site.

Search for and select a suitable counselor, then schedule an appointment with one, making use of the resources and tools that they offer. While you may have been on the painful end of trauma’s wrongs, God desires that you now make things right by surrendering your own errors and efforts in exchange for His peace and healing.