Published by It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
(Eccl 7:2-4 KJV)
I was thinking what a horrible, rotten, little man I’ve become when I’ve allowed myself to operate from the idols of my heart and it tempts my loved ones to sin against our Heavenly Father. What I mean is, when I’m angry with my wife, trying to get her to respect me or honor me, and she responds with more anger, now she has also sinned against God. Instead of provoking one another to love in this situation we are provoking one another to sin against God. So, I find myself these days digging deeper into my heart to find out what maybe the real source of my anger. Anger usually points to some pain that we may have. I think most negative human emotions can be distilled into pain. For example, worry, fear, and anger are forms of pain. I also think that what has caused the pain is not really as important as how we deal with the pain. Our response to pain, I think is critical to how we control our negative emotions, and so, our response to others if they sin against us.
Understanding how I respond to pain is crucial. I know now that I respond to pain destructively, and I must take measures to not damage people around me. There is a subtle comfort in knowing that Jesus was a man who felt pain, and was acquainted with grief. Anger and hiding are my two main weapons that I use to protect myself from pain. I think it’s ok to accept pain and to feel it. The pain links me to Jesus in yet another way. He is my Savoir who has felt my pain, my grief, my sorrow and He has allowed me to experience pain for my ultimate good. I pray for courage as I begin to explore my pain. The genesis of it, and what it can teach me about Christ. Our society shuns pain. We abhor pain, as though it is evil or just plain wrong. We do everything in our power to avoid it. Who said we shouldn’t embrace it. Emotional pain needs to be explored. Not ignored or pretend it’s not there. If, pain is not recognized it will manifest itself both in the body by way of psychosomatic illness, or destructive behaviors. I wonder if I can learn to make pain my friend and not my enemy. And what of physical pain? How I complain. What if God in His wisdom is using my pain to teach me to depend on Him? I think the stoic way is only just prideful rebellion. How often I gladly accept the fine and pleasant things from our Father’s hand but reject with horrible distain the unpleasant things. I must learn to accept all things, the pleasant and the unpleasant, for they are all good things that our Father has ordained in my life. If, all of creation groans, I must also.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
(Rom 8:22-24 KJV)
Pain is the human experience. It cannot be avoided. No form of government can alleviate or eliminate it. No amount of money can cure it. No amount of food or drink can pacify the pain that is common to us all. The best of Christian intentions or theology cannot soothe the inflammation of our souls. The only hope we have is in the reality of a resurrected Savoir. He is proof of what is to come, what we as Christians can expect. Until then we must learn to accept pain as Jesus did. Even, if the Lord delivers us from some terrible situation, the reality of our condition still remains. The pain still remains. If, we continue to respond sinfully with our anger this is proof that the pain remains. But this is our lot in this life. I pray that all who read this will be able to say from their hearts the words of Job.
…Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
(Job 1:21-22 KJVR)
