Healing Is Holy Work

Introduction: Stop Calling It Weakness

I used to think being strong meant pushing through.

Push through the pain.

Push through the tears.

Push through the disappointment.

Push through the betrayal.

Push through the grief.

Push through the sickness.

Push through the hard places.

And yes, sometimes we have to keep moving. Life does not always stop because we are hurting.

But I have learned something:

Pushing through is not the same as being healed.

Many of us have mastered functioning while wounded. We know how to show up, serve, work, pray, teach, preach, write, smile, and encourage others while carrying pain we have never fully allowed God to touch.

But God does not just want us functional.

He wants us whole.

Key Scripture

Psalm 147:3 KJV“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”

1. God Does Not Ignore Broken Places

This scripture blesses me because it shows the tenderness of God.

The Bible does not say He criticizes the broken in heart. It does not say He rushes them. It does not say He tells them to get over it.

It says He heals them.

That means God sees the broken place, and He knows exactly how to treat it.

Some wounds are obvious. Others are hidden so deep that we have built our whole personality around protecting them. We say, “That is just how I am,” when the truth is, that is how we learned to survive.

We became guarded because we were hurt.

We became controlling because life felt unsafe.

We became silent because speaking up cost us before.

We became suspicious because trust was broken.

We became busy because stillness made us feel too much.

But God knows the difference between your personality and your pain.

And when He starts healing, He does not just deal with what happened. He deals with what it did to you.

2. Healing Requires Honesty

This is the part many people do not like.

Healing requires truth.

Not churchy truth. Not polished truth. Not the kind of truth that sounds good in public but avoids what is really going on in the heart.

I mean the kind of truth that says:

“Lord, I am still hurt.”

“Lord, I thought I forgave them, but this still comes up.”

“Lord, I am angry.”

“Lord, I am tired.”

“Lord, I have been functioning, but I have not been free.”

“Lord, I need help.”

That kind of honesty is not disrespectful to God. It is an invitation for God to come in and heal.

One of the lessons I have learned through my own forgiveness journey is that you cannot heal what you keep pretending is not hurting.

You cannot release what you refuse to acknowledge.

You cannot surrender what you keep justifying.

And you cannot be made whole in an area you keep hiding from God.

3. Healing Is Holy Because It Changes Your Legacy

Healing is not just for you.

When God heals you, it affects what you pass down. It affects how you love. It affects how you parent. It affects how you minister. It affects how you respond. It affects how you lead.

Unhealed pain leaks.

It leaks into conversations.

It leaks into relationships.

It leaks into decisions.

It leaks into ministry.

It leaks into how we see ourselves and others.

That is why healing is holy work.

It is not selfish. It is stewardship.

When you allow God to heal you, you are saying, “This pain will not run my life. This wound will not shape my future. This broken place will not become my legacy.”

That is powerful.

4. Do Not Rush the Process

Healing does not always happen in one prayer.

Sometimes God heals layer by layer.

That does not mean He lacks power. It means He knows how deep the wound goes. He knows what you can handle. He knows how to walk you through the process without destroying you.

So be patient with yourself.

Do not let people shame you for still healing. Do not let religion tell you that tears mean you lack faith. Do not let pride make you pretend you are whole when you need the Healer.

You can trust God with the wound.

He is gentle enough to bind it and powerful enough to heal it.

Reflection

Ask yourself:

✔️ Have I been functioning, or have I truly been healing?

✔️ What wound have I been afraid to let God touch?

✔️ How has unhealed pain affected my relationships, decisions, or spiritual growth?

This Week’s Heart Work

Set aside quiet time this week with God.

No performance. No fancy words.

Just honesty.

Pray:

“Lord, show me what still needs healing. I give You permission to touch what I have been hiding.”

Then write what comes up.

Let’s Talk

What have you been calling strength that may actually be an unhealed survival response?

Drop a comment below. Let’s talk about healing honestly.

Copyright Notice

© 2026 Tressa L. Ruffin | God’s Blaze Setter. All Rights Reserved.

This blog post, including all written content, images, graphics, reflections, and teachings, is the property of Tressa L. Ruffin and God’s Blaze Setter. No part may be copied, reproduced, distributed, or used without written permission. Brief excerpts may be shared with proper credit and a direct link to the original post.

For permission requests, contact info@godsblazesetter.com.

God Kept Me, But I’m Still Becoming

Introduction: I’m Grateful, But I’m Not Finished

There is a phrase I say often because it is the truth of my life:

God kept me.

He kept me through heartbreak.

He kept me through rejection.

He kept me through disappointment.

He kept me through sickness.

He kept me through seasons when I was serving, smiling, and still silently struggling.

He kept me when I did not know how I was going to get through what I was facing.

But lately, I have been thinking about something deeper.

God did not just keep me so I could say, “I survived.”

He kept me because He is still making me.

Sometimes we celebrate being kept, and we should. But being kept does not mean we are finished. Being kept does not mean every wound is healed, every mindset is renewed, every fear is gone, or every part of us has fully surrendered.

God can keep you and still be growing you.

That is where many of us are. We are grateful, but we are still becoming.

Key Scripture

Philippians 1:6 KJV “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

1. God Started Something in Me

This scripture reminds me that God does not begin a work and then walk away from it.

He is not like people who start helping and then get tired of the process. He is not like people who only show up when the story looks successful. God is faithful in the beginning, faithful in the middle, and faithful when the work is messy.

And let’s be honest: becoming can be messy.

There are times when God starts dealing with areas we thought were already handled. He will reveal a reaction, a fear, a wound, or a pattern and show us, “Daughter, I still want to work right there.”

That does not mean we have failed. It means God loves us enough not to leave us half-healed.

I have had to learn that I can be an author, pastor, wife, mother, life coach, and still be a woman God is working on.

I can teach others and still need God to teach me.

I can encourage others and still need encouragement myself.

I can pray for others and still need somebody to cover me in prayer.

I can write about healing and still be walking through my own healing process.

That is not hypocrisy. That is humanity surrendered to God.

2. Survival Was Not the Destination

Sometimes we get so used to surviving that we mistake survival for purpose.

But survival is not the end of the story.

Yes, I survived. Yes, you survived. But God did not keep us just to remain in survival mode. He kept us so we could heal, grow, mature, and walk in what He called us to do.

Survival says, “I made it through.”

Becoming says, “Now let God make me whole.”

Survival says, “I am still standing.”

Becoming says, “Now teach me how to stand differently.”

Survival says, “That did not destroy me.”

Becoming says, “Now let it develop wisdom, compassion, discernment, and strength in me.”

There are some things I have gone through that I would not wish on anybody. But I can look back and see that God used even the painful places to shape me. He used what I survived to give me language, compassion, and authority to help somebody else.

That is why I cannot stop at “God kept me.”

I have to also say, “God is still forming me.”

3. Give Yourself Permission to Still Be in Process

One thing I want to say to somebody reading this is this:

Stop beating yourself up because you are still growing.

You may not be where you want to be, but you are not where you used to be. You may still have areas God is working on, but that does not erase the progress He has already made in your life.

Growth takes time.

Healing takes time.

Spiritual maturity takes time.

And God is not intimidated by your process.

People may rush you. Religion may shame you. Pride may tell you to pretend. But God already

knows the truth, and He still chooses to work in you.

So be honest with Him.

Tell Him, “Lord, I thank You for keeping me, but I still need You to heal me. I still need You to grow me. I still need You to help me mature. I still need You to finish what You started.”

That kind of prayer is not weakness. It is surrender.

Reflection

Ask yourself:

✔️ Where has God clearly kept me?

✔️ Where am I still trying to act finished when I know God is still working?

✔️ What area of my life needs more surrender, healing, or maturity?

This Week’s Heart Work

This week, write down three things God has kept you through.

Then write down one area where you know He is still growing you.

Pray this simple prayer:

“Lord, thank You for keeping me. Now help me become everything You had in mind when You kept me.”

Let’s Talk

Have you ever realized that survival was not the end of your testimony? What is God still growing in you?

Drop a comment below. I would love to hear your heart.

Copyright Notice

© 2026 Tressa L. Ruffin | God’s Blaze Setter. All Rights Reserved.

This blog post, including all written content, images, graphics, reflections, and teachings, is the property of Tressa L. Ruffin and God’s Blaze Setter. No part may be copied, reproduced, distributed, or used without written permission. Brief excerpts may be shared with proper credit and a direct link to the original post.

For permission requests, contact info@godsblazesetter.com.

The Forgiveness Journey—Preparing to Let Go, Heal, and Grow!

Introduction: Are You Ready for the Next Step?

For the past few weeks, we’ve walked through the challenges of forgiveness—how to release pain, heal from past wounds, and move forward. But now, it’s time for action.

As we prepare for The Forgiveness Journey: Let Go, Heal, and Grow! Virtual Workshop on March 28, 2025, I want you to reflect:

Where are you in your forgiveness journey?

• Are you still holding onto past hurts?

• Do you feel like you’ve forgiven, but the pain resurfaces?

• Are you ready to finally walk in the freedom God has for you?

This week, let’s get intentional about preparing our hearts for healing.

1. Forgiveness Is a Daily Decision

📖 Luke 6:37 (KJV) – "Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."

Many of us think of forgiveness as a one-time event, but it’s not. It’s a daily decision to let go.

Think of it like weeding a garden:

✔️ Some weeds are easily pulled up.

✔️ Others have deep roots and take time to remove.

✔️ If you don’t maintain the soil, new weeds (bitterness) will grow.

What unforgiveness still lingers in your heart? This week, ask God to reveal areas where you still need to forgive.

2. Identify Your Roadblocks to Healing

📖 Hebrews 12:15 (KJV) – "Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled."

What’s stopping you from fully forgiving?

Is it:

• Waiting for an apology that never came?

• Fear of getting hurt again?

• Feeling like they don’t deserve it?

These are common struggles. But the truth is, holding onto unforgiveness only keeps YOU trapped.

This week, write down:

✔️ Who you need to forgive.

✔️ What emotions still come up when you think of them.

✔️ One step you can take toward release.

3. Trust God to Handle Justice

📖 Romans 12:19 (KJV) – "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

One of the hardest parts of forgiveness is letting go of the need for justice. We want closure. We want them to understand how much they hurt us.

But God is the ultimate judge. When we surrender our pain to Him, we release the weight of trying to control the outcome.

Pray this week:"Lord, I release my desire for justice to You. I trust You to heal my heart and handle the rest."

4. Get Ready for a Transformational Experience!

📖 Isaiah 43:18-19 (KJV) – "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing."

On March 28, 2025, we’re gathering for The Forgiveness Journey: Let Go, Heal, and Grow! Virtual Workshop.

This interactive experience will help you:

✅ Identify the hidden areas of unforgiveness in your life.

✅ Learn how to fully release past pain.

✅ Develop a personal plan for healing and moving forward.

✅ Receive spiritual guidance and encouragement to keep going.

Are you ready to finally walk in the freedom that God has for you?

The Road to Release: Your Next Steps

Forgiveness isn’t about forgetting—it’s about trusting God with what you can’t handle.

Take these next steps to prepare for the workshop:

💡 Reflection:

✔️ What do I still need to release?

✔️ Have I fully surrendered my pain to God?

✔️ Am I ready to commit to healing?

✅ Step 1: Register for the Virtual Workshop! Sign Up Here

✅ Step 2: Begin journaling your thoughts on forgiveness this week.

✅ Step 3: Ask God to prepare your heart for transformation.

Forgiveness is a journey—let’s walk it together!

Let’s talk: What’s been the biggest challenge in your forgiveness journey? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

📜 Copyright Disclaimer:

All content in this blog series, including text, images, and any related materials, is the exclusive property of Tressa L. Ruffin and God's Blaze Setter. No part of this content may be copied, reproduced, distributed, or used in any manner without express written permission from the author. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@godsblazesetter.com.