They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.” When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:3-4
What is your first response when pain reels through your soul? “Stop, drop, and roll” is a fire-safety technique to practice in order to minimize injury if your clothes catch on fire. Some people run and hide to avoid pain, but then it chases them. Mature saints train their senses to see pain as a conversation starter with God. Nehemiah’s first response when pain reeled through his soul was to stop, drop, and roll into God’s presence.
It may be counterintuitive, but run toward your pain and let God repurpose it. Pain is often a point of contact God will use to get your attention, birth a new vision in you, or send a message of correction. How you respond when pain hits will determine what happens next in your relationship with God. The first and highest view of your situation is to ask God for His perspective on your pain. Until you see your pain through God’s eyes, you won’t know how He wants to leverage it for your future and His purposes. Nehemiah’s pain drove him to his knees to seek God. Why is prayer so important when experiencing pain? Because a conversation with God about pain turns pain into fuel that pro- duces a force multiplier in your faith. In what ways might God leverage pain in your life?
- Pain creates vision.
- Pain unlocks passion.
- Pain searches for answers.
- Pain seeks resolution and results.
- Pain creates momentum that drives behavior.
- Pain creates a common purpose among people.
- Pain recalibrates focus to get you moving in the right direction.
- Pain can be a launching pad for the larger story God has for your life.
- Pain clears the clogged channels of communication so you can hear God clearly.
REFLECT TO CONNECT
- What are the pain points you are facing?
- What pain points in your past has God leveraged to help create a better future for you?
- How can you use your “pain points” to help another person break through in their circumstances?
If you let Him, God will repurpose the pain in your life into a fuel that produces a force multiplier for you.
