Face It Before It Blows Up

Face It Before It Blows Up: Healing the Buried Pain

Let me tell you something I’ve learned the hard way—your trauma, if buried, will eventually blow up from underground. It might take 7 years. It might take 14. But it doesn’t go away by hiding it. It grows. It festers. And one day, it erupts when you least expect it.

I’ve been walking this road for nearly 20 years, and I can say with conviction: the longer you wait to face your trauma, the harder it is to deal with. So why wait?

Most of us don’t face our pain because of guilt and shame. We’re afraid. Afraid to confess it. Afraid to be exposed. But James 5 doesn't say to confess to just anybody—it says to confess to someone righteous, someone who can pray you through, not gossip about you. That’s key.

Face It. Confess It. Quickly.

If it's a new wound, and you confess it quickly, healing can come quickly. But if you let it sit for 7 to 14 years, it becomes an old devil. It grows roots. It gets embedded into your identity. Still possible to heal, yes—but a lot more painful to uproot.

Trauma that’s buried long enough creates subconscious triggers. All it takes is the right moment—and boom. It explodes. Again. And again. And again. But if we learn to live a life of instant confession and honest reflection, we can prevent years of unnecessary pain. Let’s not let our healing get delayed by pride or fear.

The Bitterness Cycle: 7 x 70 in the Negative

There’s a spiritual principle in Matthew 18:21–22 where Peter asks, “How many times should I forgive my brother? Seven times?” And Jesus says, “Not seven times, but seventy times seven.”

When you study this, it means unlimited forgiveness.

But the opposite is also true—unforgiveness breeds unlimited bitterness. It doesn’t take a major betrayal. Sometimes it’s just a small thing—a word, a look, or even something silly like sipping from someone’s favorite cup. But if it isn’t addressed, it festers.

Suddenly you’re arguing, and you don’t even remember what started it. That’s what bitterness does—it compounds. You may think, “I’m not bitter,” but deep down, resentment has already begun to take root. It’s that one unresolved issue that triggers a cycle of 7x70 offenses—and not in the direction God intended.

Forgive Quickly. Heal Deeply.

Forgiveness isn't just about moving on—it’s about removing the power that pain has over you.

When I faced my wounds—some from my father, others from my past—I had to make a choice. Not just to acknowledge the hurt, but to forgive. Even when nothing was resolved. Even when apologies never came. I still had to let it go.

Ephesians 4:31–32 says,

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

It’s hard, but it’s necessary. Bitterness has to be removed before it becomes your identity. If you don’t pull it out, it will eventually pull you down.

And what does "malice" mean? It means ill will—a desire for someone else to hurt because you’ve been hurt. That has no place in the life of a believer. If you're holding onto that, you need deliverance. It's not who you are, and it's not who you're called to be.

The Protocol of Healing: Confess, Face, Forgive

There’s a spiritual protocol for healing:

1. Face it – Stop denying the pain.

2. Confess it – Bring it into the light with someone trustworthy.

3. Forgive – Whether or not they deserve it.

And when you do this, you disarm the bitterness, uproot the trauma, and walk free from the cycle.

Let’s be a people who live clean. Confess quickly. Forgive deeply. Heal completely.

Your soul depends on it.