How to Stop Bearing Needless Pain

Years ago, there was a commercial whose slogan stated "depression hurts".  The advertisers were speaking about the physical manifestations of depression.   But I think we can all agree that all manner of emotional stress effects us physically and causes pain.  But take heart, the bible shows us how to stop bearing needless pain...

Stop Bearing Needless Pain - Dare to Be a Daniel

During a recent study of the book of Daniel, I found him to be one of the greatest heroes of the faith.  His example of faithfulness and trusting God is such an inspiration, ESPECIALLY in light of the size of the trials Daniel walked through!  I mean come on, a fiery furnace and a lion's den!  It doesn't get more terrifying than that!  Talk about stress!!

As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!  My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”  Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 

Daniel 6:20-24

Here we see Daniel confirming that his God sent an angel to shut the lions mouths and this was done because he was found blameless with the final verse further clarifying because he had trusted in His God.

There seems to be a direct correlation between being found blameless and trusting God.  I am not a Bible scholar by any stretch nor have I consulted any commentaries with what I'm about to say, but if we are to take these two verses at face value, it would appear that when we trust God, we are found by Him to be blameless.

Indeed this is true on the day of salvation.  For when we trust Christ to be our Savior, recognizing that He died for our sins, we are then placed in a position of blamelessness before God.

But tying together being blameless and trusting God hit me with a whole new sense of conviction when I thought about how my worry is a lack of trust in God.  Although I know that at conversion, my sins past, present and future were removed from me as far as the east is from the west, in my humanity, I am still a sinner who falls into sin.  When I don't trust God, am I found blameless in that moment?  No, not really, because I am not trusting God.  Am I sealed for redemption?  ABSOLUTELY!  But there are consequences for my sin...

Stop Bearing Needless Pain - Shift your Focus

Let's take worry for example, since I am the Princess of Worriers and an expert in all things to worry about.  :-p

When we choose to look at our circumstances rather than look to the Lord, ESPECIALLY, in severe trials, all manner of harm besets us - the mental and physical ramifications of stress.

I am currently under A LOT of stress at work right now.  It's not just me, several other co-workers and colleagues are feeling the stress as well.  I was so taken aback when talking to two of my colleagues where one commented that she has been having a lot of indigestion suddenly, and then the other one chimed in ME TOO!  The other person went on to say that she is feeling tightness in her upper back across her shoulders as well.  Then I exclaimed,  all of the above and then some!

Rather than praying and choosing to trust the Lord in this very busy time at work, I am trying to carry it all on my own.  These stanzas to What a Friend We Have in Jesus comes to mind...

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Joseph M. Scriven

Indeed!  Instead of feeling at peace, I am feeling anxious.  Instead of feeling comfort, I am suffering with all manner of unpleasant physical symptoms.

As I've shared in earlier posts, I have been practicing mindfulness meditation.  It's interesting but one of the meditations is to go through all the areas of our bodies and wherever there is stress, to try to breath through those areas and relax them.  When I got to the shoulders, I realized mine were pushed up toward my neck.  Ay yi yi!!  The woman who was leading the meditation commented that stress is most often felt in our stomachs and across our upper backs.  Um YUP!

How many doctor's visits for stress related illnesses could be avoided if we just took everything to the Lord in prayer and trusted that He will do what He says He will!

We could then say with Daniel, "because I trusted the Lord, I was kept from harm".

Stop Bearing Needless Pain - The Holy Helper

There are many other applications where God will keep us from harm because we trust in Him.

Instead of holding onto bitterness and resentment, which we know only harms us in the end, we can pray and trust that God will work out forgiveness in our hearts.

Instead of complaining which harms the wiring of our brains turning us into "Negative Nancy's", we can pray and trust God to give us a new perspective.

Instead of being angry which harms us by raising blood pressure, we can pray and trust God to fill us with compassion.

Instead of slandering or gossiping which harms our trustworthiness, we can pray and trust God to fill us with words to lift up another.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, 

as well as all types of malicious behavior. 

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,  

even as God in Christ forgave you. 

Ephesians 4:31-32 

I don't know why we are such a forgetful people or why we so easily forget that we have a Holy Helper that resides inside of us for EVERY situation related to trials or even our own sinful bents.  But thanks be to God, He is so very patient with us, and whenever we slip up, we can get up, dust ourselves off and know for certain that when we trust in Him, He will help us again.

{For more Biblical encouragement on trusting God, please head over to my post, That Moment I Relinquished Control, which you can read HERE.}

You keep him in perfect peace 

whose mind is stayed on you, 

because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 26:3b

And there it is, Isaiah sums up perfectly how to stop bearing needless pain that you were not meant to carry.  Grab hold of that promise and live in its freedom.

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