Hurt People, Hurt People

“Hurt people, hurt people.” Yes, you heard that right. When I was in college I heard this phrase repeatedly because it was something our leaders felt very strongly we needed to know about others and ourselves. It’s a memorable and some may think cheesy phrase, but sometimes those are the best ones. Plus, who doesn’t like cheese? Oh yeah, my wife! ;)

When I post on the BBYM blog I generally (as all of us do) think through what God is teaching me right now that could maybe help someone else. “Hurt people, hurt people” has been ringing in my heart and mind for the last couple of weeks and I brought it up in a discussion during an FCA meeting with teenagers at one of our local schools.

Bottom line is, we are all wounded in some way. Really in a number of ways, but the deep wounds are the ones that we give the greatest attention to. So “hurt people, hurt people” simply reminds you and me that there is likely more at play when we are wounded by the words or actions of others. I don’t have to tell you twice that people do things that you don’t understand because if you’re honest, you do things that you don’t understand.

Maybe for a moment today we can recall those in our lives that have caused us some kind of pain and realize a few things we don’t naturally see on the surface:

• Underneath it all, the person who hurt me was acting out of their own hurt (fearful, angry, lonely, depressed, etc).

• My desire for revenge is a reaction to the pain I’ve experienced not primarily the person.

• The one who hurt me is not my enemy. That’s a lie my true Enemy wants me to believe.

In it’s simplest form, the gospel is “Jesus in my place.” We see in Jesus the death that we deserved and the life we should have lived.

For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. -2 Cor. 5:21

The very person who experienced the greatest form of hurt from people He deeply loved does not fit the phrase “hurt people, hurt people.” No, in His instance, “Hurt people, Help people” or better said, “Hurt people, heal people.” Thank you, Jesus that You reveal to us that where we fall short, You rise exceedingly above and do so in our place. Give us the desire to help people in their hurt instead of bringing them further pain. Help us to take our eyes off our pain and see through Yours the pain in the lives of ALL those You love!

Pastor Michael