His face was flushed; his large eyes were bulging. Angry words, as sharp as daggers, spewed rapidly from his mouth. My first angry client stomped around my office in a bright green sweater, waving his arms, yelling and pointing his finger—at me.

I felt like ducking for cover. I was only twenty-five years old, and I had no idea what to say. As he left, he called me an ugly a name I won’t repeat here.

After my ranting client left, I thought of so many colorful responses. How dare he unload on me? Later on, I discovered he had heard a rumor (that was far from the truth).

But his words hurt—they were personal and ugly and I took them to heart.

He was a client I had worked with for over a year. I valued our relationship. His outburst left me wounded, doubting my ability to continue working in sales.

Have you been wounded, lately?
Maybe someone has spread a false rumor about you.
Perhaps a friend insulted you or betrayed your confidence.
Or maybe an angry client yelled obscenities at you…

It’s comforting to know that Jesus was emotionally wounded, also (Matt. 26:43), and yet somehow, He healed. His wounds never stopped Him from serving and loving others. And the Lord wants to help us heal, too:

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Ps 147:3

I’ve learned (the hard way) that neglected, buried wounds don’t heal very well—they have the power to keep on hurting you, over and over. Emotional wounds can make you feel insecure. They can stop your growth and progress.

But if you bring your wounds to the Lord, He can cleanse them. Mysteriously and beautifully, the Lord can heal you and move you past the pain. The following are verses I’ve learned to go to when I need healing:

Five Verses for a Hurting Heart

1. “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” Rom. 12:19

After I realized that my client hadn’t even checked the facts, I got really upset. The nerve. But before I could call and give him a piece of my mind, he came back to my office and apologized.

When you’re hurt, it’s so tempting to hit back. Lashing out at the one who hurts you feels right at the time, but it won’t heal your heart. Let God fight for you, instead. Seek His face rather than seeking revenge. Trust Him to work on your behalf.

2. “Bear with each other and forgive one another . . . Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Col. 3:13

I told my client he was forgiven, but honestly, that was really a s t r e t c h. I didn’t even try. Instead, I told everyone in the office about it. I admit I made some funny jokes about his bulging eyes. And I held on to the offense for way too long. Maybe you can relate.

Our brains like to organize people into categories, such as “good” and “bad.” That’s what I did. But since we’ve all behaved like “bad people” at one time or another (Rom. 3:23) it’s best to resist categorizing. Only the Lord is perfect, and yet, He chooses to forgive. Let’s choose to forgive, too.

3. ^“Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort.” Eph. 4:31

Holding a grudge didn’t hurt my client, it only hurt me. What could’ve been a short-term, unfortunate incident, turned into a huge, painful mess. It took me a long time to get over it. I rehashed it. I let his words hurt me over and over. And it felt pretty awful.

Don’t let your thoughts run wild when you’re hurt, rein them in. Go to God daily for cleansing of bitterness and grudges. Be patient as you heal. Keep your mind on God and off the situation. Be patient with the one who hurt you, for he or she is probably hurting, too.

4. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 2 Cor. 4:17

As I focused on how I had been wronged, I lost perspective. I gave the situation far more of my attention than it warranted. I love the truth of this quote by Andy Andrews: “Perspective can just as easily be lost, as it can be found.” In other words, a good perspective must be maintained.

When you’re hurting, it’s tempting to make the situation bigger than it already is. Work at keeping a proper perspective by centering your thoughts on what’s true: it won’t always hurt as bad as it hurts right now. In light of eternity, our troubles are short-lived. Get rid of any thoughts that don’t align with God’s truth. Meditate on Scripture each day (my new workbook’s guided meditations can help you). Speak truth out loud.

5. “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, yes, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Is. 41:10

Throughout this painful situation, I felt alone, like no one cared at all. But this is never true for the children of God. I wish I had clung to this powerful verse, and then reached out for the Lord’s mighty hand. But I didn’t. I wish I had known then about the comfort and healing God can provide.

Eventually, I worked past my hurt and moved on. But it was so much harder than it had to be. I did continue working in sales and eventually—in spite of many other difficulties—I enjoyed some success. (Yep, I did look a lot younger then)

Chances are you’ve been wounded, too. If so, your heart may be hurting, right now. You may be feeling pretty discouraged. Maybe you’ve lost perspective and hope. I get it!

Remember, God can use every trouble and heartache for a good purpose (Rom. 8:28). He can give you the strength to face every offense and trial. So, reach out to Him. Let the Lord heal your hurting heart. He can transform your pain into something beautiful.