I almost never listen to the radio. CDs are more our thing, but for whatever the reason, we were listening to our local "family friendly" (aka Christian) radio station and the prerecorded narrative prelude to the upcoming song had my attention.
This unknowing, inspiringly wise stranger was sharing about hurting hearts. He was articulating something I find myself trying to explain and come to terms with often. I thought it would be just a few sentences, so I sat and listened and waited and learned and took notes and listened some more (remember, I had somewhere to be...), but this was just too good, too important. (I have a little saying, "There's always time to do God's will." This was one of those moments.) This narrator had more than a few sentences to share and every word of it tingled in my ears, enlightened my heart, and increased my desire to love empathetically. I was listening.
Hurting hearts...they are EVERYWHERE. Every single person we encounter, every single day needs healing. Let us not be deceived. Everybody hurts because it's a fallen world we live in. It's a Savior that we seek. Not even the happy-go-luckiest is immune from pain, not even the leader, the pastor, the most put-together, not even the hero in your life.
Pain. It's an inevitable part of humanity and it fuels inflicting pain which fuels more pain and more pain and the cycle most often repeats. But there's a better way. There's freedom to be found. There's victory over sin through what Jesus Christ has accomplished.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Romans 3:23-25
Pain. It's behind every hint of sarcasm, every outlash, every innuendo, attitude, and deviant behavior. The intuitive folks know this, they sense this, they feel it and see it coming, wondering how everyone else is missing the obvious. But if we would all stop and pay attention, the clues are always there for anyone to see who chooses to look deeply enough through the Father's eyes. When we recognize the roots of pain, we don't excuse or justify the sin it produces, but we do grow in compassion for those in the wrong. We discover hurting hearts in need...both in others and in ourselves and we bloom a capacity to counter the pain with love.
"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8
Pain. It's the root of anger, jealousy, pride, condemning thoughts, and destructive actions. It's the source that pours out often the opposite of what we really want to do and be. The irony is astounding. An insecure heart gushes with overt confidence [pain]. The soul's seething tongue strikes with venomous, irretractable spew, wounding those it loves most [pain]. The adulterer actually longs for love from their spouse and their Savior, the very ones they crush in their wandering [pain]. The admirer cuts down and belittles in attempt to build up self [pain].
Do we see it? Do we want to see it?! Because when we do, it's a whole lot easier to empathize, grow in compassion, forgive, restore, and move forward better off than before.
"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:9-11
Pain. It's the catalyst that leads us to the end of ourselves, the gasping for redemption, the ability to crumble into the arms of our ready Savior...if we allow it to be...if we ask, seek, knock.
"They reeled and staggered like drunken men
and were at their wits' end.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!"
Psalm 107:27-31
and were at their wits' end.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!"
Psalm 107:27-31
My wise, stranger teacher reminded me in my car of the powerful truth that if we can just remember that everyone is hurting... everyone needs healing...everyone needs love, then the hurtful behaviors or attitudes we encounter (even from Christians) are easier to understand. We become less the victim and more the solution for the pain when we partner up with Jesus and love the unlovable, when we forgive the unforgivable, when we let Him infuse our hearts.
Perspective is so powerful. When we put ourselves in other people's shoes and ask God to help us humbly realize why it is that a hurtful person has acted in hurtful ways, He opens the eyes of our hearts...and what we see is pain. What we find is a hurting heart...every time. We then have the opportunity to release judgement or retaliating anger and bathe instead in compassion, understanding, and forgiveness. This is only possible through the heart of Jesus. This is not a normal human response. But God, who is rich in mercy, can pour out His love through us, and pains begin to heal.
"No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us." 1 John 4:12
Pain deserves compassion. Pain is understandable. Pain needs help, healing, prayer, Jesus. We need God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to lead our hearts into such perspective. This perspective is then how we conjure up the strength to sincerely pray for those who persecute us. This perspective is how we find it in our hearts to genuinely love those who curse us. This selfless act is what Jesus did and does through us when we open our hearts to be like His and ask Him to overflow through us that which we cannot muster on our own.
Jesus freely gave. He gave forgiveness. He gave mercy. He gave compassion to the hurting and the lost. Jesus gave His very life to save those who are His born enemies. Would we do that? Could we do that? I propose yes, but not in our own strength.
“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." Luke 6:32-36
I believe Jesus would have us love one another, understand each other, put ourselves in other people's shoes. I believe He would want us to pray for each other, be kind even to those who've hurt us, and bless those who persecute us either outrightly or merely in thought. Again, this is not humanly possible. This goes against our instincts. This type of selfless love comes from Christ alone.
He poured Himself out for us and gave of Himself everything He had to give so that we could find healing and redemption. He showed us how to love sacrificially and selflessly. He taught us how to forgive. He fills us with His Holy Spirit and beckons us to become more like Him with every opportunity, through every heart's pain. He longs to fill the voids of our souls with Himself. Will we allow Him?
If we can just see ourselves the way Jesus sees us, if we can see others the way Jesus sees them, the way He looks upon our pain and theirs with compassion, then we too can love as He loved, forgive as He forgave, receive what He has to offer us, and offer healing to the broken in return.
If you are hurting today, you are not alone. If you've been hurt lately, the one who induced your pain has pains of their own.When we see others through God's eyes, we begin to feel for them and grow in understanding. We can see where they are coming from and it becomes easier to be objective as we release hurts and gain perspective. When we seek to love and forgive, our awesome Father God covers the hurt with healing. He does! His Word tells us that if He is for us, none can be against us because in ALL things, God works for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28) He accomplishes wise purposes through our pains and through discoveries hidden deeply behind exteriors. He brings it all to light.
So let us strive for LOVE this day and always, participating together as the temple of the Holy One who heals. May He fill us with His miraculous, unending love, His deep, considerate mercy, His encircling, empathetic compassion, and His beautiful, selfless understanding. He freely offers Himself {through us, His body} to mend and bind up brokenness with the fortitude of His steadfast love...the antidote for hurting hearts.
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God."
1 John 4:7
Please join me in worship today by clicking this link to the Seeds Family Worship Song, If God is For Us (Romans 8:28) from Seeds of Purpose (one of my all time favorite CDs!!) God works ALL things for good! He does! Even the hurts, so why not sing it out?? :)
