Hindrances to Healing
It's helpful to anticipate possible interferences as we minister to hurting people and try to nudge them toward greater healing in their lives. These hindrances can come both from the helper's own life as well as those stemming from issues in the live of the person we are helping. Some of the most common hindrances are listed below.
In the life of the helper --
1) The helper’s ego
Many times we minister to others in order to prove that we are adequate or important. When this is a motive for ministry, we view ourselves as at the center of the healing process. This leads to pride and spiritual arrogance that is a definate hindrance to helping the other person heal.
2) Pulling back in an un-boundaried relationship with the hurting person
If we are not clear on what type of boundaries the Lord wants us to have as we minister to those who are wounded, we may inadvertantly lead to our own burn-out experience. When this happens, we can soon feel overwhelmed and trapped by the needs of the person we are ministering to. At that point, our only option is to pull back from the relationship, just wounding the hurting person further as they sense our distancing ourselves from them.
3) Remaining detached and unconnected
Many take an extreme position about ministering to wounded people and believe that they should never get involved at a personal level in that person's life. Because of this belief, they remain totally emotionally distant from the person. It is my belief that although care needs to be taken in becoming too involved, we need to model the heart of the Good Shepherd -- that of our compassionate, emotionally involved God -- as we relate with the person.
4) Blaming the person if "failure" happens
This can especially happen if we believe that we are at the center of the healing process, instead of seeing our job as (like the friends of the paralytic) helping the person get closer to the only One who can heal them. When problems arise, we tend to blame the person we are ministering to as our (often unrealistic) expectations are not met.
5) Going only on the basis of what you can see
If there ever was a situation where we needed to walk by faith, it is when we are ministering to the deeply wounded. Our God is faithful and He continues to work "behind the scenes" in the person's life. He often uses the "bumpy places" which occur as we help other to be time of important spiritual and emotional growth . But we can often become discouraged if we only focus on the obvious, that which we can see.
In the life of the hurting person --
1) Being blackmailed within
In addition to hearing threatening messages in their mind regarding retaliation if they continue coming to you for help, the hurting person may also be afraid that you as the counselor will be harmed by the demonic if they persist in moving forward in their healing. If you sense a drawing back or hesitation to proceed, it may be helpful to ask the person if there are any thoughts or voices that are hindering or threatening them. Once uncovered, if it is a demonic issue, the person can be led in evicting the demonic presence if necessary, or if it is merely a matter of suggestions or thoughts, the person can learn how to resist them.
2) Specific programming
This is especially true if the person is from an occult or cult background where programming was used. This might include the threat that if the person does this or that, then a specific programming will kick in and the person will do something to derail the help they have been receiving. One of the best ways to deal with this hindrance is to ask the Lord if there is any of this programming present, and if so, how to deal with it.
3) Having doors still open to the enemy's influence
Satan can only work on the basis of consent. That is, he can only control the person in areas where he has been given permission to operate. For example, you may deal with a particular issue and then, the very next week, find that things have returned to where they were before. If there are generational issues of consent, these entry points which allow the enemy to work against the person were often opened by others (such as parents) for the person. To deal either with open doors for the enemy's work that were opened BY the person themselves or FOR the person by others, ask the Lord what open doors still exist and then deal with them as He directs.
