Pain

Pain, that’s a word that no one likes.  I think it falls in the class with the 4-letter words.  Some of us self inflict, others inflict it on others.  And often we enjoy inflicting pain on others.  That in itself is just messed up.  The Bible teaches us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets

For the most part I think that is how we, the human race, operate.  You occasionally get the bad seed.  But yeah, we try to treat others good.  But sometimes, and we are all guilty, we mess us.  We hurt our friends, the ones we love, without meaning to.  And it isn’t always the pain you can see; Most of the time it is our words. We should always be an encourager.  Try to lift others up with our words.

Isaiah 55:11 (NIV)

¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Sow good seeds with your words.  After we say that hurtful word the damage is done.  We back track and try to take it back.  Say I’m sorry, but the best we can hope for is to mend the fence, ask for forgiveness and hope they have it in their heart to do just that.  Me and my no filtered mouth often finds myself in that predicament.  I am always asking somebody to forgive me.  I know it comes out, I hear it, and then it’s like I can’t believe I just said that our loud.  Sometimes I actually just think I am thinking it buts it’s out there!  In the air.  Damage done.  I have learned  a valuable lesson this week.  When I give my opinion I am going to wait a few seconds, listen to God, and wait for scripture and speak that!  If what you say is scripture, that can’t hurt!  It might sting sometimes, because we don’t always receive what is true and best for us.  We always think we know best and we can fix it.  But we have to give everything to God so he can shape and mold and work things out for our good.  And He needs every little piece!  Every little sliver!.

Romans 8:28 (NIV)

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose

Why would we want to hold on to our pain?  Sometimes I think in our little minds we think we deserve it.  We have done something to deserve our pain so we keep that little piece to punish ourselves right when we start to feel joy within us.  When we feel Jesus in there, the devil comes along and says but you know you don’t deserve to feel joy, you don’t deserve to have a happy life.  You certainly don’t deserve to move past this pain and move on without it.  Well that’s the devils job.  He lurks around “seeking whom he can destroy” Don’t let him destroy you by holding onto your pain.  Jesus took care of your pain by dying on the cross.  His pain!  I was thinking on my way to work yesterday how sometimes God asks us to do things and we hem haw around before we do them, or even IF we do them.  What would we be, where would we be if Jesus had said, “Nah, God!  Not feeling like hanging on the cross today?”  “Un Uh, not gonna do it”.  But He didn’t, we know how the story ends.  He prayed in the garden, He died on the cross, arose 3 days later!  He did ALL that so we could have eternal “Life”!  Se we could let go our pain!  I can’t begin to imagine what it felt like to hang there!  Tormented feeling like his Father had all but forsaken him.  Here I am nursing a little seatbelt burn on my neck and I am thinking, “What a WUS” and I am!  I will be the first to admit it.  I don’t like pain!  I hurt, I take a pill, I rub something on it, get the heating pad, you name it I have tried it!  But we are human and that’s what we do for the flesh.  But the pain that comes when someone cuts us deep with actions or words will not so easily be fixed.

1 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

⁹ Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing

We retaliate with hurtful words of our own and think that somehow helps.  We distance ourselves from the ones we love and that loves us so we protect ourselves and don’t feel pain.  We all have our own coping mechanisms, but how many have tried Jesus?  Most times when we hurt we cry out to Jesus.  And He wants us to!  But He wants us there in the good times too.  And honestly after the last couple of years I can say I know He was there in the bad ties!  I felt his arms around me!  I could feel his peace, his protection.  I could feel his nudging me along, ever so gently.  But what I felt after I started to live again, the good times, is so great!  I hear him telling me what he wants me to do, I hear him whisper to me that things are going to be ok.  He shows me the plans he has for me!

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

So then when the bad times, hard times, come I know what He has told me in the good times!  But you have to let him in during the good times.  That’s how the pain all makes sense!

James 5:7 (NIV)

Patience in Suffering

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.

Be  patient!  That is a word that I have come to hate!  A friend told me this week that patience is like an old mean childhood friend that used to beat you up and pick on you.  Now it is like picking at a really bad sore that won’t heal.

1 Corinthians 16:14 Do everything in love.

If you are in pain, let the Bible, Gods word, heal you.  Whether its physical pain, or the emotional kind.  There is a word in there for all of it. He is the Great Physician after all!   He doesn’t care if you have insurance, Obama care, Medicaid, Medicare!  He takes it all.  He will make it good and return so many blessings on you!

Philippians 4:19

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus!