The Power Of Pain

1. Victory Over Sorrow

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no
more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order
of things has passed away.
Revelation 21:4

The old order… the previous regime, no longer will it control us, commit cruel acts of tyranny against us, oppress us. The old order itself will pass away. Death, Sorrow, Conflict and Pain will not have the last word. God will. God does.
Yet, until this time comes, we live in a fallen world, and the last thing we feel is victory. When tragedy hits friends and family, it is impossible to know the right thing to say to bring them the comfort they need. It’s even harder being on the receiving line of well-intentioned condolences. “I am sorry for your loss,” or “I know how you feel,” may sting open wounds instead of healing them. So, what do we do if there is nothing we can say, nothing we can do to help? We love. Sometimes people just need to know we care about them. That’s it. They may not want us to cook, clean, preach, teach, or tell them to “hang in there.” They may just want us to be there.
However, if we are on the end of the tragedy side, it’s okay if we do need people to jump in and help us. If we swallow our pride and let friends or family drop by a meal or straighten up the kitchen, they will be more likely to let us do the same when positions are reversed.
Once time passes, people will remember those who tried to reach out and support them. Honestly, in the long run, that is what matters. A friend of mine who suffered from cancer confided in me, “I have learned from my experience, be the person to call. Don’t worry if you are bothering them. People who I thought were my good friends have left me alone to deal with my pain.” That’s messed up. Even so, some good came of her bitter experience. Romans 8:28 promises, “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” This is such a case. She learned from her suffering. I have learned from mine. I hope you can learn from yours as well.
Indeed, we can acquire power from our pain and use it to not only better our own lives, but those around us as well. So let it be.


Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You that someday all our pain and tears will be gone, so distant, that perhaps all memory of them will be gone as well. Nevertheless, help us to learn from our experiences in hardship, how to be compassionate and authentically loving towards others who suffer. Help us to not let our egos and pride get in the way when we need the help of others, so we can release them to receive our help as well.

Amen