Undesirable. Inescapable.
Pain.
Experiencing it is human. Avoiding it is unthinkable.
It shows up at the worst time, gives you the worst feeling and forces you to accept and let its reality drain the life out of you.
There’s the pain in neglect and rejection,
when you only needed some time and attention.
The pain in sickness,
when it keeps you from doing the things you need and want to do.
The pain in offense,
when a loved one’s words and actions (or lack of it) inflicted wounds.
The pain in letting go,
when goodbyes cause you to leave the things and people you value.
The pain in failure,
when all your efforts fell short and caused you to feel insecure.
The pain in loss,
when the empty space creates an almost permanent void.
The pain in waiting,
when you feel like your faith and patience are waning.
The pain in suffering,
when you start to ask if life is still worth living.
Pain demands to be felt, as John Green would say. It’s almost impossible for you to ignore it, and in feeling it comes two possible reactions: it’s either you hide it or hide in it. Hiding it is like intentionally leaving a wound unchecked and untreated. Hiding in it is giving it the control over your thoughts and actions.
Pain will tell you to vindicate yourself and hurt the people who have hurt you.
It will tell you to build walls so you can shield yourself from further harm.
It will tell you that your friends and loved ones will never understand what you’re going through.
It will tell you that you deserve to feel this way.
It will tell you that life isn’t worth it.
It will tell you that you’re no longer worth it.
Hiding in pain is giving it the control over your thoughts and actions.
But friend, while your pain may be real and damaging, you don’t have to believe its lies. You don’t have to invalidate its existence but you don’t have to worship it either.
The Painful TruthYou don’t have to invalidate pain’s existence but you don’t have to worship it either.
Here are three things that you should know (or be reminded of) about pain:
No matter how long you have been enduring and struggling, everything in this world has its own expiration date, including pain. There will come a day when tears will be wiped from your eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4). Pain may have gotten its grip on you now but you can choose not to hold on to it. Although it lingers and it clings ever so closely, you can let Hope hold you instead. This Hope is much stronger than your pain’s hold of you.
Diseases paved the way for the making of medicines. In the same breath, the pain you experience gives way for your healing. This is why you don’t hide the pain but give it at the hands of the Healer, God. He is “close to the brokenhearted and He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” (Psalm 34:18 NLT). The presence of pain will never be greater than God’s power to comfort and heal.
God knew pain and felt pain long before you have. It was the kind of pain caused by sin that led to the separation of God from His treasured creation — man. It was the pain of sin that shattered man’s relationship with God but it was the pain endured by Love that mended it back.
The only time “painfully ever after” will take place is when you live your life apart from the Greatest Healer Himself. God loves you so much that He did not want you to experience the unimaginable pain of being away from Him forever. He did not spare His own Son, Jesus, and gave Him up freely for us (Romans 8:32) — for our redemption and restoration.
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Jesus was in pain, too. He was mocked, ridiculed, beaten, and then nailed to the cross for our sins, for our pain. His wounds brought healing upon those who are hurting (Isaiah 53:5). You can’t accuse God that He doesn’t understand your situation because He knows. He sympathizes, empathizes and even weeps with you in your brokenness, in your weakness, in your sickness, in your waiting. He knows what it’s like to be rejected, He knows what it’s like to suffer, because He experienced it Himself.
Truth or Lie?Jesus’ wounds brought healing upon those who are hurting.
Pain speaks lies. Jesus speaks truth because He is truth (John 14:6). Whose voice are you going to listen to?
Pain will tell you to vindicate yourself and hurt the people who have hurt you.
Jesus tells you to forgive others as you have been forgiven.
It will tell you to build walls so you can shield yourself from further harm.
Jesus tells you to let healing and love in your heart.
It will tell you that your friends and loved ones will never understand what you’re going through.
Jesus tells you that you are not meant to bear your burdens alone.
It will tell you that you deserve to feel this way.
Jesus tells you that you have the choice to hope and rejoice despite what you feel.
It will tell you that life isn’t worth it.
Jesus tells you that He came to give you life and live it to the full.
It will tell you that you’re no longer worth it.
Jesus tells you that you are worth it.
Beloved, God invites you to put your pain in perspective today. He doesn’t want you to hide it nor hide in it. It doesn’t have to overwhelm you and consume you. I encourage you today to put your pain in its proper place, at the foot of the cross, where it’s already been overcome.
Once you look away from the pain and choose to fix your eyes on Jesus instead, I promise, everything else becomes a blur.
Receive your healing today, in Jesus’ name.
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