It’s Time to Heal: Four God-Given Steps to Restore What Life Has Shattered

God turns scars into testimonies.

We all carry wounds―some we caused, others that were done to us. Anxiety, depression, other forms of mental illness, trauma, burnout, and disconnection plague us. Too often, we try to ignore the pain, pretend we’re fine, and go on with our lives...and it doesn’t go well. But what if God doesn’t want to erase your pain? What if he wants to redeem it?

In It’s Time to Heal, bestselling author and pastor Dr. Derwin L. Gray invites readers into a sacred journey of acceptance, trust, and restoration. Through biblical insight, honest storytelling, and gentle guidance, Derwin shows how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit meet us in our pain and restore what life has shattered. Healing isn’t instant or easy―it’s holy, complicated, and beautiful. But in God’s hands, broken things become instruments of the Kingdom.

You’ll discover the four God-given steps toward wholeness:

• H – Honest: Name what happened to you. You can’t heal from what you won’t name.
• E – Expect: Healing is hard. But staying unhealed is harder.
• A – Accept: Acceptance isn’t approval―it’s refusing to let your past define your future.
• L – Live: Live from love, not for it. You are already loved by God.

We live in a culture fluent in therapy language but starving for theology that matters in their real life. People are seeking emotional health and redemption from their hurt but don’t know how God fits into the journey. Meanwhile, churches are recognizing the need for discipleship that honors the reality and complexity of pain and trauma but lack tools that stay grounded in Scripture. It’s Time to Heal unites biblical truth and emotional wisdom in a way that is both pastoral and practical.

To deepen this integration, It’s Time to Heal features “Counselor’s Corner” insights from the expertise of Jim Cress and Dr. Vickey Maclin, offering compassionate mental-health context that frames healing as both a spiritual and emotional process.

You are not too far gone for God to heal. Your wounds don’t disqualify you―they’re where he does his best work. It’s time to heal.

Dr. Derwin L. Gray is the co-founding and lead pastor of Transformation Church (TC), one of the fastest growing churches in America. TC is a multiethnic, multigenerational, mission-shaped community near Charlotte, NC. Pastor Derwin and his wife, Vicki, have been married since 1992 and have two children: daughter, Presley, and son, Jeremiah. He is a bestselling author of several books including Lit Up With Love, The Good Life, Limitless Life, God, Do You Hear Me?, Building a Multiethnic Church, and How to Heal Our Racial Divide.