5 {godly} ways to deal with pain

I'll admit it. When it comes to pain, I am the wimpiest of wimps. I used to cry whenever I tripped or stubbed my toe or got a paper cut, which was often because I was (still am) a clumsy fool.

I've noticed that the lowest points in my walk with the Lord often come at times of constant pain, whether physical or emotional.

I remember a time, about 5 years ago, that I was extremely depressed about being single. That kind of emotional pain was almost harder to deal with than anything physical.

Whatever pain you're dealing with today, let me tell you something, there isn't a cure or solution simpler and sweeter than Christ. When it comes to finding this peace in Christ, may I suggest five practical ways, that I've found through my journeys, to accomplish this?

1. Listen to worship music

One of my friends at an old job suggested listening to worship music whenever I was doing some homework I really didn't want to do. It really gets your heart in a place of calm contemplation before the Lord. I've found that, especially during the first couple of weeks recovering from intense knee surgery, praise music can make you honor God and think about His attributes.

2. Resist the urge to get impatient with your progress

Ultimately, becoming impatient is showing off your distrust in God and His sovereign will in your life. He has mapped out a time and a season for this pain. He knows, down to the millisecond, when this pain will end. If you get impatient, you communicate ignorance of God's control. You show that although you say, "I trust God," you don't understand or believe Him to be trustworthy.

Don't try to rush the process. Often the pain process squeezes the most fragrant perfume, like a rose being crushed again and again. There are lessons you will learn, dear friend. There will most likely come a day when you will look back on this time with gratefulness. So I repeat: Don't. Rush.

3. Include sisters and brothers

I think sometimes when it comes to pain we have a soldier-like mentality, "I must bear my cross...alone." I know I do. It's easier to clam up and not talk about the real issues going on inside of your heart. Let me be clear, I'm saying talk to your brothers/sisters about the spiritual issues TOO. Don't just tell them, "Yeah, I'm going in for another round." Tell them, "Please pray for the Lord to calm my anxious heart."

Ask them for prayer. Ask them to come over and chat. Ask them to give you a hug. Ask them to hold you accountable.

We are a broken and sinful race. Don't try to hide it. Have someone you can tell everything to. Don't have one. Tell me: bigelow.kg@gmail.com

4. Make lemonade

The famous quote, "when life hands you lemons....yada yada yada," is, yes, a bit cheesy. But I was really struck with the positivity of one friend who made this her mantra, alongside other very biblically-based philosophies. At 19 she was diagnosed with a serious form of Leukemia and suffered through many days of
pain before, recently, going into remission. Her good attitude paired with a godly understanding of suffering makes her journey quite an interesting and inspiring one.

While it's good to be sober-minded and realistic about the pain or trials you are going to face, try to see the blessings in it. One HUGE blessing for me this summer has been the amount of time I have been able to spend with my mom. I feel like I know her so much better and I don't know that we would've spent so much time watching movies and chatting if I hadn't been laid up. Ultimately, it's about cultivating a heart of thankfulness to your Creator.

5. Pray, Pray, Pray {for others too :)}

This one seems kinda obvious but, like the last four lines of the first verse of "What a Friend We have in Jesus," 

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

 That pain we carry around, according to the hymn writer, is "needless." It's not that we don't have it or should pretend like it doesn't exist. Rather, we should "carry" it to the hands of our gracious Father and drop it in His care.

Also, I would just like to add that on top of praying for yourself (and this is an exhortation to myself as well), pray for those in your church body. Others are suffering and in pain too. Others may be rejoicing. Whatever the case, keep them in mind as well.