Pathway To Peace...Day Four...Pain

Pathway To Peace...Day Four...Pain

Pain, it is so deep, so sharp, so undiscriminating. The pain attacks us physically, mentally and spiritually. The pain I felt ….and still feel…. is the worst ache I have experienced in my 53 years of life. It fills my whole being with a mixture of emotions, none of which help take it away. Some days, I am seemingly blessed with a lull in this pain, but then it seems to find a way to steal away the time remaining in that day.  It is those sweet random memories of our first date, a picture from the wedding, hearing about the miracle that saved my friend’s spouse, or running across that note he scribbled in my Bible, “You are my pearl of great price,” that bring the pain back with a vengeance.
Do not allow pain to take up residence in your soul, for it will play tricks on your heart. It will cripple you, body, mind, and soul from moving forward. It will eventually separate you from the one person who can comfort you. You must learn to turn these painful moments into ones that bring about joy. Yes, we must find a way to turn our pain into joy! Jeremiah spoke of such a transition when he spoke these words of healing to the Jews.
Jeremiah 31:12-13
¹²Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.
   ¹³Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
God felt this kind of pain, and Jesus did as well. From the first sin of Adam, to the death of Christ on the cross, the creator of our pain knew it better than we. Even my pain from the horrible loss of my true love …my soul mate that God only allowed 3 months to enjoy….that horrible pain of mine could never rival the pain Jesus suffered on that glorious day.  This, the greatest pain anyone ever felt, brought about the greatest joy of all. And unimaginable is the pain that God himself must have felt as his son hung on that cross for our sins.  Oh how very thankful I am that Christ willingly took on this unfathomable pain. Oh how very thankful I am that God allowed his precious son to pay the price for all the sins of the world. Both knowing all along the joy that was waiting for Jesus after he completed God’s will for his life…Jesus spoke some very insightful words to the prisoners who hung beside him on the cross:

Luke 23:43:

   ⁴³And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

I can hardly fathom how much he must have loved me to endure this pain, and what is even more remarkable to me, is that Jesus endured this pain knowing the full suffering he would endure. He did what we all must do when faced with pain. We must focus on the joy to come.

Hebrews 12:2:

   ²Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It is ironic that the very pain we feel is the vessel God will use to bring the joy. I can only imagine the joy that Jesus must have seen coming to him from the father. That vision of a perfect peace and a lifetime of pure joy must have given him the strength he needed to endure all that pain.

Peter knew well this joy. He spoke of it as he preached. Paul also knew this joy. He boasted of his suffering many times as he spoke of the prize he would receive for being faithful. Both these strong disciples knew the power that turning pain over to the Lord would bring.

1 Peter 1:11

   ¹¹Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.  

Philippians 3:14:

   ¹⁴I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Turning your pain into joy is not easy. It is a daily battle, as you are confronted with memories of your loved one many times a day. Even for Jesus, this battle must have been a mighty one. When I think about Jesus’ last day on this Earth, completely human, he modeled several behaviors that I believe transformed his horrible pain into joy. First, he prayed.  Oh what a model of fervent prayer we read, as he cried out to God to take his ‘cup’ from him, then in total obedience uttered, “not my will, but thine be done.”  Then knowing his own strength would not be able to complete this massive task, he asked his father to provide the strength he needed to move forward with his will.

Matthew 26:36-41

 ³⁶Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
   ³⁷And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
   ³⁸Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
   ³⁹And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
   ⁴⁰And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
   ⁴¹Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Then Jesus acted, he stood strong in the knowledge of his purpose in life, healed a soldier’s ear, resisted even then the temptation to call down his father’s angels, and allowed the soldiers to carry him away. He was determined that nothing would keep him from carrying out God’s will.
Matthew 26:51-57
⁵¹And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.
   ⁵²Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
   ⁵³Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
   ⁵⁴But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
   ⁵⁵In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.
   ⁵⁶But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
   ⁵⁷And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

Finally, he forgave. In the midst of the most incapacitating physical pain of being whipped, having a crown of thorns placed on his head, of splinters imbedding themselves into his hands and blisters forming on his feet from carrying his heavy cross, and two nails being driven into the palms of his hands, he stopped to pray to the father once more. His words, unbelievable to me, asked the father to forgive those that caused his pain!

Luke 23:34:

   ³⁴Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

To stay in pain is a choice. We must move past its crippling effect and search for new joy. For Christ, his joy was the glorious reunion of the trinity. He is sitting on the throne beside his father waiting to help us find our joy. Find time to pray to him. Pray for wisdom to know his current purpose and will for your life, then pray for the strength to complete this task. Next, you must act, you must walk toward this new goal and see these once painful memories as joyous peaceful recollections of the loved one you miss so much. Finally, you must forgive. You must forgive anyone or anything that God reveals to you. It is this final act of forgiveness that softens your heart and allows it to transform the painful moments into peaceful strength.