5 Things Christians Need to Know about Trauma
- Alicia Searl Contributing Writer
- Updated Oct 13, 2023
These questions are often asked when someone encounters a traumatic event or experiences a tragedy of some kind.
And, while I don’t have the answers to all these questions, I do know Who does. When things get too hazy and become unclear, the best thing we can do is turn to God’s Word and seek His wisdom.
So, what does His Word say about trauma? A lot, actually. There are several verses weaved throughout Scripture that set a foundational understanding of trauma and how we can seek hope and eventually heal. But, before we dig in, I would like to start with a prayer. Will you pray with me?
Heavenly Father, You are kind, gracious, and so good to us. Your mercies are new each and every day. We are so thankful that You are a personal God and seek to have an intimate relationship with us. With that, I pray for those that You lead to this space.
You know their hurt, pain, and suffering. You see them and their situation. You’ve heard the depths of their painful prayers, the spoken and unspoken ones, and You have held onto every single tear.
So, I ask that You give them a message of peace, wrapped in hope. Draw them close and reveal the truth while gently extending Your grace and compassion. I ask all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Oh, dear friend, whether you or someone you deeply love is experiencing trauma, and you find that it is filling your mind with endless questions, I am so sorry. But I do understand.
This life is filled with uncertainties and can often leave us feeling lost and confused. So, will you join me as we discover five truths that will give us a better understanding and teach us what God says about our suffering?
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1. God Is Still Good
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good (Genesis 1:31).
It’s easy for us to get so consumed with our current situation that we begin to believe that somehow God has gone MIA or, worse yet, He isn’t all that good.
This couldn’t be further from the truth! God was good — from the beginning. When He created the world, it was flawless, perfect, and good. God declares, “It is good,” time and time again in Genesis when He created the sky, land, sea, animals, and us (Genesis 1).
Unfortunately, that didn’t last, as sin entered the world, and flipped it all upside down. The enemy stole perfection and embedded sin into every human being going forward. Sadly, this caused an end result of bending and saying to the needs of our fleshly desires.
What we must understand is that even though God knew this would happen, He still decided to create us, because His love is so great! The very nature of God is love. He is and always will be good. His very nature is pure, holy, righteous, and blameless.
So, we must understand that bad things do not happen because God is not good. Bad things happen because we live in a fallen and broken world that is full of sinful people, and an enemy that has been on the warpath since the beginning of time.
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2. God Cares about Our Situations
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him (Nahum 1:7).
God may not be the cause of a traumatic event, but at the same time, He is still well aware of our everyday situations and is not surprised by any of them.
In fact, just like any good father, He genuinely cares about His children and the struggles that they face.
But that being said, as every parent well knows, as much as we wish we want to console and comfort our children, they sometimes (especially as teens) pull or push us away.
So, God extends an invitation for us to trust Him.
One thing that we need to know about trauma and the delicate interaction with our God in these times is that He always knew that sin would ultimately lead to great sorrow and suffering.
He knew we would encounter times that would cause us to slip into fear, anxiety, and a state of relying on ourselves (or even others) to care for our needs. This is why we see multiple verses scattered throughout His Word to trust Him and fear not.
When we learn to trust Him, we are able to let go of trying to make sense of the situation and realize God’s plan is bigger than what we see on the surface level. The beauty of God’s care is that when we finally loosen our grip, we are able to take refuge in His loving arms (Nahum 1:7).
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3. God Is Close to the Broken-Hearted
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18).
It is comforting to know that no matter what we go through in this life, God is with us. But the promise He offers us when we encounter suffering is the assurance that He will draw near, be close, and we can count on Him to help us.
God is always dependable, always reliable, and always willing to meet you in the midst of your pain.
In Psalms, we see the beautiful way God meets with David. Real and raw emotion oozes out of David as he shares and opens up his heart in such an authentic way.
He was definitely not one for pretending or hiding his faults, failures, and multitude of feelings, especially in times of suffering, sorrow, or trauma. Rather, he gave each and every one of his hurts, hangups, and struggles to God.
We can almost feel the anguish with each vulnerable and transparent poem, prayer, and song. Yet, despite all of David’s sinful choices, he was considered to be a righteous man due to his humility, honesty, and repentant heart.
We can learn so much from David and his heart. Oh friend, when we decide to let go and give it all to God, we can experience such a tender and comforting moment that will grant us an unsurmountable amount of peace that doesn’t make any sense.
Lean on God and hold on to His precious promise that He is with you, and He goes before you (Deuteronomy 31:8-9).
He cares so deeply about the things that concern you and bind you down, even to the smallest details of your life, so invite Him into the broken parts of your heart (Psalm 139).
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4. God Is in Control
In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind (Job 12:10).
When life is spinning out of control, it may be an instant reaction to want to cling to something, anything in order to find solid ground. Job knew a little something about that.
A once wealthy and prosperous man who had it all, with a beautiful family, a nice home, lots of livestock, and a faithful heart that God even called blameless (Job 1:1), caught the eye of Satan (Job 1:6-7).
As the story goes, and you may well know, the tribulations, agony, and suffering this man endured seem heart-wrenching and countless.
From losing all his precious children to intruders and natural disasters, only to be later on covered in boils that were so terrible he could barely move.
Job essentially becomes the story of good vs. evil. Where Satan wants to test Job’s faith, God ultimately proves He is in control of every situation. God may have allowed Job to suffer, but He always runs the world according to justice.
He uses suffering as a means to build character, avoid future sin, and ultimately rely on Him. Job’s story teaches us that God is just, mighty, great in power, and always in control (Job 37:23-24).
The truth is suffering is a part of this life. It is inevitable and unavoidable. That’s because we currently live in a world that is run by forces of good and evil.
Satan is always on the lookout, waiting for the right moment to pounce, but in time, the victory will be declared by our God (Revelation 12:9).
Until then, God will always be fighting for us, on our behalf, and choosing to be on our side. He is encouraging us to not get too comfortable in this world and to set our eyes on what is above (Colossians 3:2).
Because no matter what we go through, whatever bad things may happen, God is still sovereign, He is still faithful, and He is still in control (Job 23:10).
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5. God Understands What It’s Like to Suffer
We must understand that we serve a God that displays a wide range of emotions. While all are expressed in pure righteousness, we must know that God has experienced the deepest levels of sorrow, grief, and trauma.
Jesus wept. The shortest and perhaps one of the most profound passages laid out for us in the gospels. We find that Jesus wept not once, but three times in various passages, showing that He was in tune with pain and suffering.
The first time is captured in John 11:35 upon the news of His beloved friend, Lazarus. Jesus knew that death had a way of bringing on a level of pain that is associated with this fragile life here on earth.
Even though He would raise him up from the dead, we see humanity come through here as He is moved with such compassion.
The second time Jesus wept was over the city of Jerusalem. As Jesus enters the city on a lowly donkey, He looks out and gazes upon the people — God’s chosen.
Yet, Jesus knew that many were going to miss the invitation to salvation, due to their unbelief in Who He was. He was grieved that many would refuse this act of mercy for their souls.
The third time we see Jesus weep is in the Garden of Gethsemane. As the time and hour drew near for His crucifixion on that cross, deep and spiritual anguish took over Him through prayer, supplication, and tears of blood. We get a sense of His pure anguish, and sorrow, as well as feelings of betrayal and abandonment.
Friend, our God understands what it is like to suffer and endure trauma. If we fail to remember that all we need to do is take a look at the cross.
Hold on to this…your suffering, sorrow, and trauma does not make you who you are — God does! You are His beloved child, fully redeemed, while being constantly restored and refined.
All the while, lavished in His mercy and grace, set free and forgiven, as you walk in the light being led by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, you, my dear, hold the inheritance to a great kingdom that will forever rein. So, let us not fix our eyes upon the trials and tribulations of this world, but set our sights on that of eternity.
For further reading:
In the Treatment Plan for Trauma and Tragedy — Hope Is the First Dose
4 Helpful Ways to Heal from Childhood Trauma
3 Ways to Conquer Your Panic Attacks
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