When We Hurt
Walking through this world is hard, especially when our world seems to shatter. Sometimes we are left wishing we could pick up all the pieces and glue them together. Long trials, health diagnoses, a broken relationship or a death. We wonder how to go on or even if we can.
When we’re hurting, it’s important to remember that we’re not here long (James 4:14, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18). It’s important to love other believers (Hebrews 13:1). We’re looking onward and upward, assured that this world isn’t our ultimate home (Hebrews 13:14).
Jesus – Our Role Model
Sorrow, pain, and grief are part of life in this world. Our Lord walked in this world of sorrow. Jesus wept at the tomb of His friend Lazarus (John 11:35) and the Bible tells us that Jesus loved these siblings (John 11:5). Jesus knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead, with the power and authority over death that He had as the Son of God. Yet our Lord Jesus is also human and He cried with the others who were mourning (John 11:33-35).
When Lazarus was sick, Mary and Martha sent for Jesus. When Jesus received their message, He purposely stayed away until Lazarus died, knowing that He would use the situation to bring glory to God. Eventually Jesus went to his friends’ town and Martha met him outside the village. As their conversation progressed, Jesus asked her a question.
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26
Martha had a choice. Even when she was hurting, she chose to rest on God’s promises. She proved her trust in Jesus when she replied:
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, Who is to come into the world.” – John 11:27
In all our pain, this should be the cry of our heart. Our faith can remain strong through our struggles, even if it is a matter of life and death.
In the Valley
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. – Psalm 23:4
Our ultimate enemy is death. We grieve over loved ones we have lost. Sometimes we ourselves walk through a dark valley and we aren’t sure what it holds. We are assured that whatever we walk through, we never walk alone. Jesus is there with us.
And we must not despair (John 14:1-4). In Jesus, the victory over death is won! We who live for the Lord can rejoice that death, however painful, has no hold over us. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:56-57, Isaiah 57:1, Psalm 116:15, Hebrews 2:14-15).
The Struggle
As emotional creatures, we often have to struggle with our circumstances. Sometimes we are left with regrets and sometimes there is nothing we could have done to change the situation. Other times, we are so lost in the middle of our pain that we don’t quite understand what happened. The enemy will use these situations against us, often in our weakest hour. The enemy may try to wrack us with guilt, convincing us we are worthless or unforgivable, trying to undermine the sacrifice of Jesus (which we must cling to with our entire hope). Or he may try to throw our powerlessness in our faces, tempting us to blame God and doubt the loving character of the Lord.
Often our emotions fight against the truth. We are tempted to give up, worry, get depressed, get angry, or look to emotional relief. Much like Peter, when we take our eyes off the Lord we start to sink (Matthew 14:28-30).
When we are aware of sinking, we ought to go to our Lord and pour out our hearts to Him. He is able to use our pain in something we can’t see in the moment. Then we should remind ourselves that God loves us, sees our pain, and will use it to make us more like Him if we are willing. Our pain is not wasted in the Lord’s Hands. He can accomplish all His good purposes through the worst of circumstances.
Through our living hope and faith in Jesus, we can choose to leave our pain in the past. We don’t have to carry our sadness or mistakes with us. And whatever pain we do carry with us into the present, we trust that Jesus is able to comfort us and we press on (Philippians 3:12-15).
As Christians, the ultimate purpose of our lives is to glorify God. Jesus perfectly fulfilled His mission on this earth by obeying the Father’s Will. When we act in faith, even in the midst of our trials, we glorify our Lord. And we ourselves will share in Christ’s glory that He won on the cross, through our resurrection into eternal life.
Our Father’s Love
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
God is well qualified to comfort us, as He alone knows every throb of our hurting heart. He is close to us and hears our cries (Psalm 34:17-18). When we are in pain, we can look to our Savior for compassion and tender care. And as we trust our Savior in our hour of pain, our faith grows and we can use His gracious love to help others in their own needs.
God comforts us through His Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit can remind us of the truth we have learned from the Bible. Since the Word is living and active, God can use it specifically for our needs at the right time (Hebrews 4:12). God also uses our brothers and sisters in the Lord to give us encouragement, prayer, and support (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Ephesians 6:18, Romans 13:8, Romans 1:12).
Although this life is one of trials and tears, we can rest in our Lord. We can look forward to all the glories to come in our eternity with Jesus. And we can continue to walk in the light, offering that light to those around us, to glorify our Savior through it all.