Healing in Groups

When the Master of the Church is The Great Physician it behooves us to think deeply about how we can also become great Physicians. How do we bring healing and growth mind, will, spirit, body and relationships? The same God who promised the Children of Israel that they would "Not get any of the diseases of the Egyptians" is still offering His truth, love, gifts and power!

The church alone can be a Transformational Community! No other group has the Holy Spirit in its midst. No business, plant, false religion or psychological treatment program can do it without Jesus. Despite the knowledge and insight of education and psychology and medicine no group can be a transformational community except the church. (See the April 30 Post.)

Jesus told the Disciples that it was better for Him to go away because those He left would "do even greater things than He." Wow, that sounds preposterous! But it is not because we ARE doing more than  Jesus. He was confined to one tiny strip of land on the Mediterranean Sea. We are able to preach, teach, love, and pray daily in every corner of the earth. There are hospitals, schools, churches, seminaries and gatherings daily all over the world.

Each Christian community has the opportunity to be a place of healing and change for the better. Read the article below and consider what a small group of men and women can do to bring change, growth and healing. Even in war! And without the intentional presence of God.

In 1973 the Surgeon General summarized the major learning from the study of WWII veterans: Perhaps the most significant contribution of WWII military psychiatry was recognition of the sustaining influence of the small combat group or particular members thereof, variously termed "group identification," "group cohesiveness," "the buddy system," and "leadership." This was also operative in non-combat situations.

Repeated observations indicated that the absence or inadequacy of such sustaining influences or their disruption during combat was mainly responsible for breakdowns during battle. These group or relationship phenomena explained marked differences in the psychiatric casualty rates of various units who were exposed to a similar intensity of battle stress. Medical Department, U.S. Army, Neuropsychiatry in WWII, Vol. 2: Overseas Theaters, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1973, p. 995.

Add the Spirit with God's word, the love of the Lord and each other and the supernatural gifts of the Spirit and voila! Miracles will happen. Expect a miracle each time you meet. Get our books on healing and prayer.  Healing Souls Touching Hearts is all about small group ministries. See Breaking Free to learn how God still heals today.