First Response
What is your first response?
C. S. Lewis once wrote, “Pain is a megaphone to arouse a deaf world.”
So, as I reflect, I ask myself, what is my first response to pain? Do I immediately react or pause to consider my understanding, perception, or intent? Should I clarify? Do I respond immediately according to what I feel? Do I even question what or who is leading my response?
First, let's define pain. Medline Plus defines pain as a signal in your nervous system that something may be wrong. It is an unpleasant feeling, such as a prick, tingle, sting, burn, or ache that may be sharp or dull. This definition describes physical pain, but there are other types of pain, such as emotional and mental pain.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke defines pain as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience; no two people feel pain the same way, even if the reasons for their pain are alike.
There are two primary sources of pain: something we do to ourselves or something someone else does to us. Pain, from either source, is a tool God can use to get our attention.
In 1 Chronicles 4:10, we find the prayer of Jabez,
Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.
Jeremiah 30:15
Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you.
And Matthew 4:24 states,
News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.
Pain entered into our world when Satan deceived Eve, and she chose to decide what was best and right instead of following God's instructions. Until that moment, Adam and Eve lacked nothing. They knew no pain or suffering and had a personal relationship with God.
But we have hope. God had a plan to reconcile us to Himself before time began. He sent his son, Jesus Christ, who humbled Himself to live among us in the flesh, submitted to suffering and death, and overcame death once and for all so all of man may be forgiven for sin that we are powerless to overcome ourselves. You only have to believe that Jesus Christ, our Savior, died on the cross and was raised to life after three days and accept his help by agreeing that we are sinful and powerless to do anything about it.
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