What Do You Do When Your Spirit Has Been Broken?

I remember feeling that my very soul had died. I guess what I was really feeling was a broken spirit. I know I felt like I had been shattered into pieces. I really felt that I couldn’t go on. I was severely depressed and thoughts of suicide did enter into my mind. The pain that was inside of me was just too much for me to bear and I felt like giving up. Death, to me, seemed better than this never ending pain and agony.

No matter what my husband did, and trust me, he did everything humanly possible to try and make me feel better; the pain would not go away. After a year of being devastated, I realized that healing wasn’t going to come from my counselors or my friends or my husband. The only way I was going to truly heal was going to be through God.

I had a hole in my soul and it was a God shaped hole. That place inside of me that felt hopeless, devastated, hurt and alone, no one seemed able to touch. I am now glad that I turned to God and not something or someone else.

I know you don’t know me, but I have NEVER smoked, drank or did drugs but after I found out about my husband’s affair, I actually thought of trying out marijuana. The reason I thought about doing this was because I had heard somewhere, that if you smoke it, it makes you not care about anything. That is what I desperately wanted, to not care about anything. I even knew where I could get some, but to this day, I am very glad I never went that route.

I realized when I couldn’t stop thinking about the small hand gun I own and how easy it would be do just pull the trigger and end it all; that I needed help from a professional. 1 month after I found out about my husband’s affair, I went to my family doctor and told him everything. He wanted to admit me into the hospital, but my husband convinced him that he would watch me close while the medication took effect.

Now, antidepressants are not for everyone but they were for me. They really helped me and I was, again, able to function throughout the day. Now, antidepressants alone are not going to be the cure all. You also need to see a counselor on a regular basis. I would recommend, at least once a week for the first few months. You also need to keep God in your life. Having a close relationship with God is going to help you tremendously.

As you find healing in God, be sure you seek the help of the Holy Spirit for wisdom. I believe that there are times when someone is in such a state of depression, that they either want to die or just unable to function, that it’s okay to use medication to become more emotionally stabilized. I have dealt with people that flat out refused medication because they believed, that by doing so, it meant they didn’t have faith. I believe that if this medication helps one think more coherently and they no longer want to die, then they should be able to receive this help.

You, also, may be going through a lot of the same things that I went through in those early days. The Bible says that no one can bear a broken spirit. That it’s impossible to bear and it’s also impossible for us to mend our broken spirits alone. Only God can heal your broken spirit.

A broken spirit comes when your heart has been shattered and you feel like you’re very soul has died; it affects your entire life. This usually causes your spirit to become depressed. The devastation of having your spirit broken is very real and knowing that no one can save you from it is very traumatic. This is why some choose death over life. They don’t see any reason to go on. They feel broken beyond repair. But we as Christians know there is a reason to go on and we know that we aren’t going to stay broken forever.

God can repair your broken spirit; He is your Master Healer. Don’t look to your spouse to heal you, because they can’t fix your heart. If you read God’s Word, you’ll see that God takes people that are wounded and broken and He restores them and uses them in great ways. As long as you have faith in Him you will be totally healed. That is one of God’s promises. God promises to save those who have broken spirits and renew them. Hold the promise close to your heart and believe that God is healing you.

Today’s Prayer

Dear Lord,
I am hurting and in pain. My spirit has been broken and I know only You can heal my broken spirit. Please bring your healing today. Thank You for wrapping me in Your loving arms and giving me peace and comfort in my time of need. I know that through You I will be completely healed. Thank You for being the wonderful God that You are. Amen.

Related Resources

If you would like more devotionals just for the betrayed spouse, please visit http://www.godlywhispers.com/DevotionalBook to purchase the book “Godly Whispers – A 90-Day Devotional To Help You Recover From Your Spouse’s Affair”

You will develop a deeper trust in God, who can control what you cannot. You will be able to get rid of all those “what if” worries as you get a continuing touch of God’s love and goodness. You will experience a strengthening of your self-worth in the face of all the betrayal.

Steps You Can Take:

We often miss what God is doing in our lives because we are so wrapped up in our own pain. Ask God to reveal to you the evidence of His care. It may come in the form of a hug from a friend, a card, a comforting conversation, etc. No matter how your support comes, you need to recognize it as God’s care over you.

Reflections:

Do you often feel like you are going through hard times all alone or do you purposely look for God’s presence?

Do you find it hard to ask for or even receive help from other people? If you do, why is that?

How has God encouraged your heart today?

Extra Bible Verses:

A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
Proverbs 15:13 (Amplified Bible)

I live in the high and holy places, but also with the low-spirited, the spirit-crushed, and what I do is put new spirit in them,get them up and on their feet again.
Isaiah 57:15 (The Message)

More Devotions

What Do You Do About A Damaged Self-Esteem?
Do You Feel That All Your Hope Is Gone?