I have to admit… The Wall Around Your Heart: How Jesus Heals You When Others Hurt You by Mary DeMuth was not a very comfortable book to read. I knew it would make me acknowledge all the walls I had built up in my life, but I didn’t realize what a struggle breaking them down would be.
Too often when we get hurt, we spend months, if not years struggling with the bitterness. Although we may forgive the person who hurt us, the memories still linger, causing us to barricade ourselves from others. In this book, the author explains how we can be healed and made whole after painful relationships have taken a toll on us.
Using the Lord’s prayer as a guide, the author gives biblical and practical encouragement to turn a fortress heart into an open heart. The one thing that stood out for me in this book is this: the painful relationships I’ve endured in the past have molded my life in a way that nothing else possibly could.
I’ve asked God so many times why He let me endure certain difficult relationships… well, I now have the answer. He used those people, those hurts, those lessons, to mold me to be a better vessel for His glory.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
“I would not be the Christ follower I am today without the painful people from my past. They were and are gifts. Messy, problematic gifts, but gifts nonetheless.”
“When we rehash, we rehearse, then relive the pain, which ends up poisoning us further.”
“I cannot fathom a God who dared to leave perfection, to come to this pain-paved world and heal those who eventually screamed for His death.”
“We ask for God’s will to be done, for Him to take divine note of the situation and act on our behalf for the sake of His name, not ours.”
“God often stretches you beyond your comfort to grow you.”
If you’ve been hurt by a loved one, someone you trusted and allowed into your life… you need to read this book. The past has no power over you unless you let it. Allow God to heal your wounds, and use your painful past to mold you towards a glorious future.
Disclosure: I received a free Kindle version of this book from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.
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