Pain Doesn’t Have to Last Forever
Pain has a way of sticking with us longer than it needs to; gnawing at us until, even after it’s gone, the impression remains. That lingering scar is a constant reminder of what happened to us, how we felt when it occurred, and serves as a building block for the wall that we build to guard ourselves from that sensation again. There are no time limits on pain. There are no rules to how it presents itself and no rhyme or reason to its display. One thing that is constant is its inevitable occurrence and its foreseeable hold on our lives. But pain doesn’t have to last forever. We often hold on to it because it is human nature to hold on to our feelings. But sis, feelings are so deceiving. They will have you stuck in time if you aren’t careful. And we know that we are supposed to be constantly growing. God tells us in His Word that we should, “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” (James 1:2-4). Hard times are going to happen because God tells us they will. He also tells us that they help cultivate us into a more mature Christian. This is not to negate the immense feelings that are associated with whatever pain we are facing. God knows that we will experience that as well. The Bible reads, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). God provides us with the comfort that we need during our darkest days. And if we trust Him, we will learn that He also makes a way for us to help someone else who has similar scars. There is purpose in pain. Although we may not see it while we are going through it, we will soon learn that “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”. The key is freeing ourselves from the impossible task of carrying the hurt alone. You see, letting go doesn’t convey weakness or lack of power. Contrarily, it represents strength by way of recognizing and utilizing the true power that only God possesses. Pain is heavy. Peace is light. God desires for us to lean on Him. His hope is that we allow Him to work in ways that we simply aren’t qualified to handle. It is then, and only then, that true healing begins.