Thank God for your pain- then do something about it!

The man talking to me was hurting- obviously. He wasn’t sobbing, but his voice would catch in his throat and his eyes would fill up and spill over, again and again. “What’s with this place?” he asked. “I come here and I start crying! It’s not what I want to do.” To me, his tears showed two things: that God’s Presence that he sensed in the church made him feel safe enough to cry and that he was in terrible pain inside, a pain he usually could not or would not let himself acknowledge.

Do you know that pain is a gift? It is a signal that something is wrong, that corrective action is necessary. Touch a hot surface and instantly you hand pulls away as nerves flash a pain signal to your brain that causes you to react. Without the pain, your hand would be severely damaged, wouldn’t it? The ache of the soul is a signal, too. What does it mean? It might be God calling us to return to Him. It might be signaling guilt. It might be signaling longing for purpose and/or meaning. It might be telling us that we are not living for the right things, wasting precious days. It could be signaling depression that needs to be treated, or unresolved conflicts from long ago!

Too often we treat the pain symptom instead of the cause of it. Our medicine cabinets are full of chemicals that mask our pain – Advil, Bayer, Aleve. None of these are healers! They just temporarily turn off the pain signal. That’s not all bad if we take steps to deal with the issue that causes us pain at the same time. Tragically there are things that many use to mask the pain in their hearts, too. Alcohol, pleasure, sex, pornography, buying things, anger – the list is long.

Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29, NLT) Don’t be too quick to dismiss that prescription! Regular times of corporate worship with God’s people, quiet times of reflective prayer, and daily handing over of our cares and concerns really is amazingly healing. The Spirit of God will lead us to forgive, will call us to repentance, will help us sort out the junk from the treasure – but only IF we are in a place where we can hear Him speak.

As with most healing, the pain of our soul is seldom relieved in an instant. Rather, God heals us from the inside out as we learn to live in ways that are spiritually healthy. Here’s a word from the Word. Read it thoughtfully, prayerfully today. There’s a lot of soul food in it!

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Be self-controlled and alert.

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." -1 Peter 5:6-10, NIV
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What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry,
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear.
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

What A Friend We Have In Jesus

Scriven, Joseph M. / Converse, Charles C.
© Public Domain