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