Bring The Pain Pt.3

Inflict The Pain

Have you ever wanted to hurt someone? I mean someone who has hurt you or done you wrong in some way. Come on now, be honest. Almost everyone at some time has wanted to inflict pain upon those that either hurt us or someone we care for. We have in us the God given desire for justice that we in our carnality can misplace.

I remember going through many times in my life that people had done wrong to me in some way or another. I, in my hurt and pain would imagine somehow getting even with those people or that somehow they would get what they deserved. The truth is all I wanted was justice. All I wanted was for those people that I felt shouldn't have done the things they did to me, to feel the hurt and pain that I was. I wanted them to know they had hurt me and be sorry for it. The reality is that may never happen. The other reality is that if we do not learn to deal with that reality, then those people will always have control of that part of our lives.

Consider what Romans 12:19 says, " Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord".

I read a saying that went like this, " He who angers you, owns you " (author unknown). It is true if you think about it. Every time you think about that person and what they did, you are allowing it to dictate and determine how you feel and your attitude, thereby controlling you. I have just finished reading a novel where the main character survived and won his battles because he never lost his cool, he never acted upon his emotions, and he out thought his opponents. This is kind of how we have to deal with situations. We have to control our emotions, not our emotions controlling us. God gave us emotions to be regarded in that aspect. We don't necessarily have to out think someone, but understand and act upon what we know God would think.

One thing we must learn and keep in our thinking is that whoever it is that is doing us wrong are not the ones we are in conflict with.

Ephesians 6:12 says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places".

Jesus knew this as He was on His journey to the cross. Satan had caused great hurt and pain to God through his deception of Adam and Eve. Satan know held ownership to God's greatest creation, us. Many people ask why God didn't just put and end to Satan or Lucifer as he was known then and set everything right. If He had done that, which He very well could have and had the power to do, then God would have been wrong and negated His word and that which He spoke into existence. Jesus was the one who brought justice to the world, but not in the aspect we think. He paid the price for our souls and went to hell in our place. Satan accepted Jesus as the sacrifice thinking he had won. The catch was that Jesus was paying a price He did not owe. He was sinless and blameless. Now it was time for justice.

Colossians 2:15 says, " And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it ".

Jesus inflicted a little pain upon Satan and his demons. He defeated them and took ownership of his domain. Jesus took the keys to death, hell, and the grave. When you have the keys to something, that usually means you own it. Jesus then gave the power of that victory to us.

Luke 10:19 says, " Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you".

We now have the power over Satan and his demons. The only way he can attempt to have power over us is by using other people to hurt us. The only way that can happen is if we allow it. We allow Satan control by holding on to the hurts and pains from others. It is not an easy thing to do, to look past the person to see the evil force behind their actions, but it can be done. Jesus inflicted pain upon Satan when He defeated him at the cross, now we can inflict pain upon him by defeating him in our daily lives. Gird yourselves up. Begin to walk in the Spirit and love of God and inflict the pain.

In Christ, Kevin

Bring The Pain Pt. 2

Release The Pain

We all have or have had pain of some kind in our lives. The issue comes in how long we have those pains. Emotional pains and pains that come from sin last a very long time especially when those pains involve other people. Hurts that come from things we have done can usually be healed quickly when repentance and the effort to make restitution are involved. Hurts that come from others though are not so quickly healed.

I know that sometimes we can see or at least try to see from two perspectives about hurts that are done to us. One perspective is letting it go and getting over it. The other perspective is maybe forgiving, but not forgetting. It's hard not to do this. When we've been burned by someone we certainly don't want to let that happen again. Hurt me once shame on you, hurt me twice shame on me. We have a tendency to take account of the wrongs done to us. We talk about it and talk about it, rehearsing it over and over. We enter into bitter criticism against whoever hurt us, whenever the opportunity arises. Basically we are trying to take revenge in any possible way. We want justice. We want those that hurt us to know they hurt us and be sorry for it. The kicker is that it will most likely never happen. I have had situations where someone close hurt me and after a time of healing I would approach these people and make an apology for my wrongs. I tried to have the attitude that it wouldn't matter if the other person apologized or not, but I honestly was secretly hoping they would. When it didn't happen, I had to deal with that disappointment and actually resolve myself that it never would in order to be able to move forward.

We are human and born with a carnal nature. That carnal nature is what seeks revenge for things done wrong to us. As Christ followers though, we are called to walk in a higher place in Christ. The world says revenge. God says forgive. It seems like the most un-natural thing to do and that is right, it is a super natural thing to do. The bible says to not be conformed to this world. It is talking about not conforming to the worlds way of thinking and doing in anything no matter what it is. Gods ways are higher than our ways and that is what we should conform to. His ways.

You may ask though, How? How can we just let something go? If I do that then everyone will see me as weak or the person that hurt me will just keep on doing it again and again. Let's look at some scripture on this.

" Whenever you stand praying, if you have a grievance against any one, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your offenses. " Mark 11:26,26 (Weymouth New Testament In Modern Speech)

The biggest reason to forgive the hurts and pains done to us is so that God can place forgiveness upon us. If we don't, He can't. When we choose to forgive someone of whatever offense they may have brought against us, we are spiritually absolving ourselves and putting ourselves in right standing with God. Whether the other person forgives, repents, or whatever is between them and God and none of our concern. I know it is easier said than done.

As far as opening the door to be hurt over and over again, God gives us wisdom to not repeatedly put ourselves in situations. There has been a couple of times in my relationships with friends that I have had to make the decision that I wasn't going to put myself in certain situations with them because I was usually hurt in the end. I am still friends with these people, still interact with them, I just try to use wisdom and not open myself up for unnecessary pain.

Let's look at it this way. The pain and hurt that Jesus experienced while being beaten and crucified was about as unjustified as you could get. Yet, He willingly received all of that pain. Why? He knew something greater was more at stake than His being right and being justified to the people. What was at stake you may ask? The people. Every person from the beginning with Adam and Eve to right now present day. Our eternal salvation was the prize He had to win. We have to remember, and this one is hard also, that no one is perfect. No one has it all together. We are a people with issues, sins, and irritating idiosyncrasies. In short we have hang ups. Jesus was hung up for our hang ups. He was even beaten and crucified for those that have brought pain into our lives.

Jesus received all of the hurt and pain that was meant for us, that should have been ours to take, and still had love and compassion to ask God to forgive those who had put Him there. He took all of that pain. Every painful thing conceivable through time He bore and then released us from it. This is why it is important that we, no matter how difficult it seems or how long it may take, to find strength in Him and forgive and release those who hurt us and brought pain to us. When we can do this, we can release the pain.

In Christ, Kevin