How Do We Handle Our Pain?

James 1:2-4(ESV) —

‘Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness . And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.’

Colossians 3:2(ESV) —

‘Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.’

1 Peter 5:10 (ESV) —

‘And after you have suffered a little while the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, strengthen and establish you.’

I’d like to finish this week's devotionals with some suggestions as to how we can deal with life's experiences of pain and struggle. All of us will face difficult times, but as was said recently on a Christian TV channel: 'Grace isn’t God changing our circumstances; it is Jesus coming into our circumstance.'

Face the problem and the pain.

Trying to bury the hurt we feel or getting so busy that we have no time to deal with it, will only defer and amplify the suffering. Two helpful approaches:

a) tell God exactly how we feel;

b) share our struggles with someone else: we are called to carry each other’s’ burdens. (Galatians 6:2)

The Bible, and especially the psalms, are full of people telling God what they are feeling and thinking. Follow their example and tell God honestly what you are feeling and thinking: he understands what we are going through. Jesus empathises with our weaknesses. (Hebrews 4:15)

Count it all joy!   

This is a bit of a challenge. Joy is something we are given as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and isn’t related to our circumstances, Perhaps we can accept and even appreciate the hard experiences in our lives, because we trust God to use them positively to make us more like Jesus. In Jesus' presence, we can be held steady and have an underlying calm even in the storm.

Cultivate hope

Hope was a key factor for the early Christians when they were enduring persecution and trial - the hope of God's promises and a glorious future with Jesus. We too need to focus more on our future lives with Jesus - the place he has prepared for us and the glory we will share with him.

Prayer - Heavenly Father, help us to share our feelings and pain with you and to develop appropriate ways to endure struggles when they befall us. Thank you that you will never leave us or forsake us.