2 Corinthians 12:8-10
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
I do not know of anyone who stands in line to accept pain or discomfort. Even so, we can rest assured that it will be delivered to us sooner or later. Pain is just as inevitable as the sun that rises each morning.
The question is not whether we will receive pain or not, but how we will respond to it when it strikes. I have known many people who live on the threshold of excruciating pain and yet have a glorious smile and glowing testimony. Others get a sliver and act like they are going to die. Not that slivers do not cause pain, but compared to catastrophic injuries or illnesses there is no comparison.
The Apostle Paul was no stranger to pain. According to 2 Corinthians eleven; five times he received 39 stripes, three times he was beaten with rods, and once he was stoned. He knew hunger, thirst and rejection. In the face of his pain he could confidently state in Philippians 4:13; “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
How do we deal with our own pain? Do we curl up and feel sorry for ourselves or do we rise above our threshold of pain and confidently march out to do battle with the enemy of our souls. I want to join God’s army!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil