Why Some Wounds Refuse To Heal

As a nurse practitioner, I've spent years helping people with wounds.

Most cuts, scrapes, and injuries heal with time. The body is remarkably designed to repair itself. Given proper care, damaged tissue slowly closes, strengthens, and recovers.

But not every wound heals that way.

Some wounds linger.

Sometimes there is an infection beneath the surface. Sometimes blood flow is poor. Sometimes the injury keeps getting irritated before it has a chance to heal. What looks like a simple wound can become a long-term problem.

Over the years, I've noticed that people are not much different.

Many of us carry wounds that don't seem to heal.

Not physical wounds.

Emotional wounds.

Relational wounds.

Spiritual wounds.

A harsh word spoken years ago.

A betrayal by someone you trusted.

A marriage that fell apart.

A parent who was absent.

A friendship that ended badly.

A disappointment you never expected.

Time passes. Life moves on. Yet somehow the wound remains.

Most people learn how to function around those injuries. They go to work. Raise their families. Pay their bills. Smile when appropriate. But underneath the surface, something still hurts. And because the wound is hidden, it often goes untreated. In fact, many people spend years convincing themselves they are fine.

"I've moved on."

"It doesn't bother me anymore."

"That's all in the past."

Sometimes that's true. Sometimes it isn't.

One of the things I've learned in both medicine and ministry is that ignored wounds rarely become healthier simply because we stop looking at them. What is left untreated often grows worse. The Bible speaks honestly about the reality of inner wounds.

David wrote:

"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds."

—Psalm 147:3

That verse reminds us of something important. God does not pretend wounds don't exist. He doesn't tell hurting people to simply "get over it.” He acknowledges the hurt. He sees it. And He offers healing. But healing usually begins with honesty.

A patient who refuses to acknowledge a wound cannot receive treatment. Likewise, a person who refuses to acknowledge hurt often remains trapped by it.

That doesn't mean we live in the past. It doesn't mean we become defined by what happened to us. It simply means we stop pretending. We admit that something hurts. We admit that something was lost. We admit that something inside us may need God's help.

For some people reading this, the wound is recent. For others, it may be decades old. Yet it still influences relationships, attitudes, decisions, and even faith. That is often how unhealed wounds work. They rarely stay contained. They spread. They affect how we trust. How we love. How we view others.

Sometimes even how we view God.

The good news is that wounds do not have to remain open forever. Healing is possible. Not always quickly. Not always easily. But healing is possible. And often the first step is simply recognizing that the wound is still there.

Next week, I'd like us to consider another difficult question:

Why do some hurts become bitterness while others become wisdom?