Hard Things happen to each of us. The Bible says it rains on the just and the unjust. (Matthew 5:45) This means none of us are pain resistant. Pain eventually seeps into each of our lives. But what we don’t think about is the fact that we were never created to handle pain. Pain is a result of our fallen human race. We were never equipped to deal with this thing called pain. It’s foreign. It’s not in Heaven and it’s not in our human ecosystem. As a result, it takes great understanding of how and when we actually began to experience pain and, ultimately, how to release it from our lives.
Many times we have experiences like Joseph. (Genesis 37:12-24) Without warning, we are thrust into deep emotional pits. Places of pain. Moments, so painful, we completely lose ourselves. We can feel entirely helpless to the idea of climbing out of our pit of pain. Each of us would like to know how to get out but rarely do we feel compelled to actually claw our way out. The thought of one more failure may be more than we can bear. So, we merely survive. We lay low and look for ways to function without really living because living ultimately = pain.
As children, many of us experienced circumstances that were completely out of our control, causing serious pain. Depending on how hurtful our childhood was, we developed deep patterns, more habits, and more coping mechanisms to survive in our pit of pain.
Getting older doesn’t guarantee we get wiser. How quickly can we stop our pain without stopping the flow of our daily lives? “Doing whatever it takes” becomes our goal. Each of us attempts to keep the pain out… or so we think. The lie is this: we believe we can control our pain. We believe that pain, as long as it’s not affecting us, doesn’t still hurt us. Pain is a pit and the only way out is to climb out. If a prisoner feels momentary freedom, they attempt to avoid the harsh reality that they are not free. Pain can render us powerless to face life.
It’s not hard to fall into pits of pain, but–do we know how to get out of them and, more importantly, stay out?
Consider this: the moment you know how to get out of the pit, you have confidence. Fear goes away. It leaves because you know that if and when you fall into a pit again, you know how to get out. It doesn’t leave you helpless and powerless but rather powerful and free. We are not bound by ‘what if’ fears any longer. You’ll know exactly how you got out and what to do if you get stuck again.
You are not alone. You were made for HARD THINGS. The Holy Spirit desperately wants to get you out of your pit. He wants to build confidence through perseverance.
Can you get out of your pit? Yes! Is it going to take all you’ve got? Yes. Is it ok to be angry? (Ephesians 4:26) Yes, in fact you need to be. You need to feel the emotion of a prisoner. That feeling will motivate you to get out and stay out. Until you can look back and see how dark a pit you lived in and never want to go back again, you are not fully free.
