In his intercession for the Christians in Ephesus, Paul found it important to ask God to grant them:

“to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in their inner beings” – Ephesians 3:16.

This prayer would have been meaningless if each person did not possess an inner being. In 2 Corinthians 4:16, referring to himself, he adds:

“That is why we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

This is not limited to Paul or simply to the Christians in Ephesus; it holds true for every human being, including you. Your physical body constitutes your outward self, while your inner self is made up of your soul and spirit. Just as you work on maintaining physical fitness, you should also focus on nurturing your inner being.

However, many invest solely in their outward appearance without caring for their inner selves, forgetting that those who strive only to “appear” without truly “being” will eventually “disappear.” Why go through all this effort? It is not in vain! According to Eduard Thurneysen, the theory and practice of soul care will take radically different forms depending on the conception of humanity that serves as its foundation. It is anthropology that gives soul care its decisive orientation.

A good understanding of human constitution forms the basis for comprehending the extent to which a wound can affect you in general and to what depth it can affect you. If a person is not just a physical body, it means that wounds cannot be a reality solely on the physical plane. Beyond physical injuries that affect the outward self, there are deeper wounds referred to as heart wounds or soul wounds. These are synonyms that allude to the same thing.

Understanding the Inner Being: From Wound to Inner Wound

So, what is an inner wound, a heart wound, or a soul wound? The Medical Dictionary of the Academy of Medicine, 2023 edition, defines a physical injury as a traumatic lesion of the body, more or less serious, resulting from the action of a physical or chemical agent, caused by a blunt, sharp, piercing, or corrosive instrument. It further states that in common language, an injury refers to an open wound, i.e., one with a break in the skin or mucous membrane. Open wounds can carry the risk of bacterial infection, such as tetanus. This implies that an injury could negatively affect the normal functioning of a body part or organ.

However, while physical injuries involve cuts or fractures in our bodies that can result from blows or impacts, inner wounds refer to the blows or impacts that can be caused by an act, an event, or words that lead to dysfunction in our soul.

According to Céline Annen, inner wounds can be either repeated or single events (traumas). However, it’s not just the events themselves that determine these wounds but how the individual experiences them. The central part negatively affected in the case of an inner wound is our soul. When the soul is hurt or affected, it can lead to an impact on the body and even the spirit. We will explore this further shortly.

This text is an excerpt from the book “HEALING INNER WOUNDS” written by Rémy BISAGA.