Powerful Pain

C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia, once wrote a book called The Problem with Pain. He had experienced the loss of his mother at a young age, a close army bunk mate, and his wife of four years to cancer. I don't necessarily want to address the process of grieving and suffering as he did, but offer some thoughts on pain's role in your life and the benefits of it.

First of all, emotional pain was introduced by Adam and Eve in the Garden. Before this, sin did not exist and man had complete communion with God. Man's soul and mind were shielded from the type of pain that sin incurs. Emotional pain is always the result of sin, others' sin or our own. Sometimes it is a combination of the two. Once our divine unity with God was broken, we were literally "separate" from Him. This distance is at the root of our reactions to pain.

Have you ever heard of "separation anxiety?" Well, the human race has a major case of it. We have been separated from the very One who can calm our anxiety and fears, and revive and invigorate us with His glorious love. The cross is the remedy. We have already been given everything we need for life and godliness. Our communion can be reunited and engaged once again. There are some basic spiritual practices which will help us regain this level of intimacy with our God. One being the way we deal with emotional pain.

When you experience emotional pain, what is your response? Is there a passage in your heart that leads you straight to your Father? Or do you worry, medicate, explode? Your reaction may be to rehearse the problem mentally, or try to figure things out on your own. God wants us to trust Him with our pain and our hearts. In fact, He invites us to.

If you bring Your heart in surrender to Him, it will become tender and malleable in the Spirit's hand. He will be able to have His way in your life. You can kick and scream in this process, but it doesn't profit you. (There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of it is death.) The ways of God always bring forth life, understanding, and hope. If we do things His way, we will be transformed miraculously...looking like our daddy (Abba) more everyday and feeling stronger emotionally and spiritually. God will give us authority to overcome if we participate. He will turn that very pain into power! This power will be released in us and through us to others. Jesus allowed pain in His life to bring forth greater glory and joy.

Lord Jesus, help us to walk in your footsteps. You are our example. Use the pain in our life the way You want to. Your ways are higher than our ways, your thoughts higher than our thoughts. We bring all of our burdens and anxieties and pains to You today. You are the Lover of our souls, heal us, purify us, and make us clean. Help us to walk in all of Your ways so we will be a true representation of You in the earth. Thank You for Your great mercy! Thank You for the oil that heals our hearts. Make these passages in our hearts perfect in that we will come to you first when something happens. Release Your power in us. Blessings forever to you!

Spiritual Despair and the Touch of God

Today I was reading about the story of Jesus and the woman He healed with the issue of blood (Mark 5:30) . Jesus was looking for the woman because He had "felt" virtue or power leave His body. This is an important lesson about spiritual sensitivity. Although there were lots of people around, Jesus was aware of the situation in the spirit around Him. He cared about what God was doing. He cared that someone was in pain, He cared that someone was rejected, even though He was busy, He cared.

One of the most powerful cries to God is one of despair or hopelessness but still believing in His power. Knowing He is the only option you have left. She said to herself, "If I can only touch Him, I will be healed." She had heard of the miracles, she had sought healing for years, she had paid the price. Finally spent and desperate, she risked public harassment and violence to get to Him. If you need a healing in any area of your life, pay attention to this woman's path to Jesus. Touch Him and He will touch you.

There are lots of people in pain around us everyday. Not everyone is looking for God to help. Some people wear their physical ailments or problems like a badge to garner sympathy. That is not the kind of desperation that will reach God's heart. It is when we know He is the Healer and will heal us, will help us, if we can only touch His heart and search for where He is. He reveals Himself to those who are looking for Him. If you search for Him, you will find Him if you search for Him with all of your heart.