“But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” – 1 Peter 4:13

Pain tells us there’s a problem. It’s God’s way of letting us know that something is wrong and it’s time to take action. It’s a warning sign to protect us from greater danger. A signal that it’s time to do some deeper investigation.

Unfortunately, we can be tempted to think of pain as a punishment or a curse. God knit the experience of pain into the fabric of humanity to give us warning signals, to keep us running back to Him, and to get us to admit that we need help. (That’s why we won’t need it any longer in heaven!) Pain leads us back to God’s protective boundaries. Psalm 119:71 says it this way: “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.”

Pain is also what leads us to seek healing.

Our pain matters. It matters to God, as much as it matters to us.

Yet we can be tempted to manage our pain by minimizing it. We convince ourselves, “I can handle it. I’m fine. It will go away eventually”. If you were the oldest sibling in your family and one of your parents died, you might have had to bury your pain to hold the family together. Or you might minimize the loss of a father because your single mom did a great job raising you. But when you minimize your pain, you actually give it more power.

Sweet friend, ignoring pain is not strength. It leads to greater injury. Though our bodies have been exquisitely designed, our wounds need attention, care and eradication.

BEAUTY MARKS  - LINDA BARRACK