Pain is Not the Enemy

These past two weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind.

And they've reminded me of the truth that we never know what tomorrow holds.

After a lot of discussions with friends, family, and work, I had to face one of the hardest decisions of my life. It was one of those times when I knew the right choice, but every fibre in my being was fighting against it.

I'm sure you've been there before too...it's decision time and you have two paths to take.

One seems so much easier. You can keep leading life the way you want to. You won't have to hurt anyone in the process.  You can keep control over situations and there won't be any giants to face.

The other path? It's not so easy...

There is heartbreak involved.  There is the letting go of personal desires and dreams.  

There is relinquishing control and the knowledge you'll have to face many, many giants.

I think it's ok to assume we would want to take that easy path. I mean, who wants to cause pain, both personal and to others, when they can avoid it? I certainly don't.  

In our culture, we do everything possible to avoid pain. Whether it's physical or emotional, we seek ways to prevent it from touching us. And when we can't prevent it, we find ways to numb it.

Avoiding certain people.

Ignoring old wounds.

Skipping physical exercise.

Holding off on visiting the doctor.

Having that extra drink or two.

Strictly physical relationships.

Taking an extra pill.

And the list could go on and on.

Yet the Lord is teaching me something really beautiful right now: Pain is NOT the Enemy.

Pain is actually an amazing gift. It lets us know that something isn't right in our body - that we have pushed it too far, that it needs to be looked after, that it needs HELP. This isn't just for our physical bodies, but our emotional and spiritual health as well.

I've struggled these past six months or so in trying to cover up my pain. Instead of listening to what the Spirit was bringing to light, I was seeking ways to mask the pain.  

When the anxiety got to be too much, I found just the thing to to make it stop.  

When the sadness was too overwhelming, I found a way to numb it. 

When things got hard for those I loved, I found a way to cope with that, too.

Yet often what we choose to run to in order to cover that pain up ends up hurting us more in the long-run. I love how Lecrae says it in his book, Unashamed:

"When people try to avoid suffering by sinning, 

they end up sinning their way into suffering."

Friend, these past two weeks I had to make the decision that instead of letting my suffering lead me to sin, I'm going to let it lead me into the arms of Jesus.

Trust me, I know that sounds cheesy. 

But trust this, too: I know that if I continued down the path of avoidance, I'd end up in a much darker place with a heart that was so hardened to things of this world.

Sometimes, the best decision for us seems like the hardest, darkest one. So what gave me the strength to be able to acknowledge the pain instead of numbing it? To be able to share the pain instead of keeping it hidden? To seek healing despite the giants I would have to face? 

"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, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."

1 Peter 5:10 

Promises like this are all over His Word. It's my God of GRACE who gives me strength to get through this pain. It's my God of GRACE that promises to restore all that I'll be saying goodbye to. It's my God of GRACE that promises strength in my weakness.

Make the hard decision today. Choose to face the pain of whatever is in your path now. Don't run anymore. Stand firm. Stand strong. Face that giant.

Not because you are strong enough on your own, but because our Lord Himself is a Warrior. 

Let Him fight for you. 

Let Him heal you. 

Let Him shower you with grace enough to wash away your pain.

It's why Jesus came to this Earth. 

It's why He willingly chose to FACE the pain of the cross. 

All so that we could feel that Grace of our Heavenly Father.

And all we have to do is simply run into His strong, ever open arms.

"When sorrows seem to find you day after day

You leave a dream behind you every step you take

Well sometimes there is not an answer for the heartache we feel.

Sometimes we have to shatter before we can heal."