As I said in the last blog, there are two types of pain:  physical, a needful pain because it is oftentimes is an indicator that something is wrong physically and needs your immediate attention, and emotional pain.  I believe that emotional pain is the mother of all pain and more difficult to heal.  It may take a physical wound a few weeks to heal, depending on the severity of that wound, but an emotional wound can and often does last a lifetime.  One of the reasons for this lifelong wound is that society as a whole tries to cover up emotional pain.  Society uses band-aids like using alcohol, using drugs, shopping, changing relationships, or moving to another city.  None of these things will work. 

Emotional pain has been around since the beginning.  It existed in the first family.  The reason for Cain's killing of Abel goes back to him feeling rejection.  The feelings of rejection are strong. For a lot of us, we grew up in dysfunctional families because perhaps our parents grew up in dysfunctional families.  The process has repeated itself over and over again.  It is true that emotionally hurting people hurt people emotionally.   

This actually goes all the way back to Lucifer becoming jealous of God's ability to rule.  And it is not all about that, but jealousy and envy are a type of emotional pain.  They can cause outbursts of angry words, violent behavior, physical illness and even death.  Emotional pain has destroyed lives, ruined marriages, torn families apart, stifled productivity in the workplace, and put nations against each other.  Emotional pain is a major source of  destruction.  It costs both physically and financially.  In fact, antidepressants are some of the most widely prescribed medications on the market today.  Though they can be helpful at times, they are not able to deal with the root of the problem.  The loss to society is great; the band-aids don't work.

One of the biggest causes of emotional pain is relationships gone awry.  This can leave a person scarred for life when not dealt with properly.  When rejected by someone we desperately want to be accepted by it can alter your life if allowed.  Rejection is one of the most common causes of emotional pain and it can kill.  I think that a lot of the emotional pain that we live with can be eliminated if we would just be honest with ourselves, tell ourselves the truth, and then speak it to others without anger.  Healing comes through transparency at the right time and in the right way.  When we cover up, we can never be healed from something.  This is why most of us experience a lifetime of pain. 

Continue with us in our next blog.

Pain is something that nobody likes, but I find that it is one of those so called "necessary evils" in our lives.  There are basically two types of pain that we suffer through:  physical and emotional.   I want to deal with physical pain in this blog.

Pain in and of itself is one of life's greatest teachers.  When there is physical pain, it is usually an indication that something has gone wrong somewhere in the body.  What a lot of us do is to try to ignore the pain, but when we do that it can lead to something far worse.  Many people have died because of that very reason.  Some of the most dreadful diseases are those that a person has and doesn't have any symptoms to let them know that something is wrong.  By the time they find out it is too late for them to do anything about it.   My daddy died from a battle with prostate cancer, but there was no pain in the initial state.  He was thinking that he was healthy until he finally got checked and it was too late.  I watched this strong man waste away quickly and die. 

So, I am convinced that God created pain as a mechanism for our protection.  For example, if you didn't have any way of feeling pain in your hand and you place that that hand on a hot stove, you would let that hand sit there until it burned severely or somebody else rescued you.   The effects of the burn could take you out of here.  The pain receptors protect you from doing harm to yourself. 

If you look at the ministry of Jesus, for the most part, those that he set free were people who were plagued with physical pain such as:  the woman with the issue of blood, the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda, the young boy that was possessed with demons who would through him in the fire, and Lazarus whose pain was so bad that it took his life.  Jesus came to set the captive free!  We have to believe that he is the Great Physician, Jehovah Rapha, the God that heals us. 

Had they not had great pain many of them would not have tried to reach out to Jesus for help.  The pain caused them to come and know Jesus.  If you are in physical pain today, perhaps you can use that pain as a motivating force to reach out to Jesus for help.

We will talk about the mother of all pain; the one that is most difficult to deal with next time. 
 

I want to begin by reading part of the scripture that is found in Philipians 4:4-9,

"Rejoice in the Lord, alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known until all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let you requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

In this section of scripture, the apostle Paul addresses several specific areas of conduct regarding the saints:

1. Our rejoicing. Verse 4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord." Inspite of the fact that Paul was in prison while writing this epistle, he emphasizes the importance of joy. Seventeen times, the words rejoice, rejoiced, rejoicing, or joy are found in this epistle. He tells us that the source of our rejoicing should be the Lord. It is not rejoicing in one's circumstances (which are frequently a cause of anything but joy); it is not rejoicing in your favorite sports team having won the Super Bowl; it is not a political/election victory; it is rejoicing in the Lord because He is the source of true joy.

The season of rejoicing: when should we rejoice? Always. Always. In some versions, the scripture says, "alway" without an "s". We would say always today. This word means to always be rejoicing in the Lord. We cannot rejoice in other things always, because other things are always changing. But we can rejoice in the Lord always, because He never changes; He is always good. The apostle Pauls stresses the importance of rejoicing by saying, "...again, I say Rejoice" (verse 4). This repeating of the exhortation shows the importance of rejoicing in the Lord. This will cure depression, stop doubts, and end discouragement. It is very important that the saints rejoice in the Lord.

2. Our reasonableness (verse 5). The meaning of moderation when he says, "Let your moderation be known unto all men" is difficult to express in one English word. Wuest's commentary states that it means "not being unduly rigorous; being satisfied with less than one's due; forbearance". Others have explained the word in such terms as "big-heartedness; mildness; and gracious". It is a disposition that is not contentious; difficult to get along with; selfish; cruel; or cranky. It is a person with a pleasant attitude or disposition. He said let it be known unto all men. Let is show. We should be this way to all people. Some of us are nice to some people, but not nice to all people. I know that it is difficult to be nice to some people, but we should at least try. What is the motive for this? He said, "The Lord is at hand". This refers to, yes, the coming of the Lord, but it also means that God is always watching, and this should motivate us in Christian conduct.

3. Our Mindset. Verses 6 and 7 are very important because in these verses he is teaching against worrying and anxiety. I have come to understand that worry and anxiety are a big problem for alot of Christians. Right here in these two verses is the cure for that problem. It tells us to relax, and not to be uptight and burdened with numerous worries and anxieties. Years ago, Elder Douglas coined a phrase: "Don't worry about a thing," and I caught a hold of that. I would hear him say it over and over again and it kind of sank down in my spirit. I caught a hold of: "Don't worry about a thing". Here in verse 6, the apostle tells us to "Be careful for nothing". In the Greek order of words, it says "nothing, be anxious about." God is not trying to encourage carelessness and irresponsibility. The word translated careful means to be anxious; to be troubled with cares. It is an exhortation to not worry.

4. Our Answer. He tells us in verse 6, that the cure for worrying and anxiety is prayer. The kind of praying necessary is described by saying, "Let your requests be made unto God." He says, "in everything by prayer...". I find that in my own personal life, I find myself becoming fretful over things and not praying about them; trying to figure it out without talking to God about it. When he says "everything", that means that nothing is to be excluded from prayer. Anything that can upset you and cause you to worry is something that needs to be taken to God in prayer.

Next he says, "by prayer". The word prayer, in this verse, speaks of words addressed to God as an act of worship and devotion. Then he mentions "supplication". This word supplication speaks of the passion in our praying and devotion, or worship to God. This word speaks about the energy in prayer. Prayer is not to be a casual exercise. "Prayer and supplication with thanksgiving": when we give thanks to God, we are praising God. Prayer without praise is usesless. If you cannot thank God for His blessings, why should He bless you again? Don't expect much from God if your praying does not honor Him.

Then, he uses the word "requests". The word requests refers to the petitions involved. Praying involves asking for specific things. In verse 7, he talks about the "peace of God". This peace of God is not to be confused with salvation which brings peace with God. When we take our needs to the Lord in prayer, God will give us a peace that is beyond our comprehension, and this peace will take care of our hearts and minds, and will remove the worry and anxiety that has afflicted you.