‘Love and Respect’ author shares personal testimony

Best-selling author and speaker Dr. Emerson Eggerichs shared his testimony in Wednesday’s convocation, encouraging students to take their personal pain and become “wounded healers.”

Eggerichs is an international speaker on male-female relationships and has been a counselor for more than 30 years. He is the founder and president of Love and Respect Ministries; his national bestseller, “Love and Respect” has sold more than 1.3 million copies.

In his first visit to Liberty, Eggerichs did not speak on relationships, however. He chose to share his personal story of coming from a broken family with an abusive and adulterous father.

He said that because of his earthly father, he carried the wounds of his childhood into his early adult years and struggled with accepting God as his “Abba Father.”

Eggerichs shared with students that they may never fully understand why their hurt happened, but “wounds have purpose because there are people that you will come across that need to know that somebody understands.”

“The Lord has brought healing to my soul, and the Lord can bring healing to your soul,” he said.

Eggerichs’ faith was obvious to his family, and one by one they accepted Christ, including his father.

He encouraged students to find healing in their wounds by making a choice.

“You are free. These past evils will not make you evil; that’s your choice,” he said. “This can lead to holiness, wisdom and insight. You can begin to be a person you had no idea you could be because of the sin that’s come to you. … You are the one who makes the decision if you are going to let that defilement enter into your soul.  Keep it out and allow that pain to turn you into that wounded healer.”

Freshman Lindsey Patkos said she was encouraged by his message.

“I really respected how Eggerichs shared his own story with us,” Patkos said. “We all have wounds but it’s when we let go of our wounds and let God use them that makes the eternal difference.”