Articles
Handling Our Hurts
One of life’s most difficult challenges is overcoming the harm that is done to us by others. No matter if it’s physical or emotional, hurts and harms are hard for us to deal with. When someone does harm to us, it’s human nature for our immediate reaction to be “You may have gotten me, but I’m going to get you so much worse!” We dwell on it as we lie in bed, and we can’t sleep thinking of how we were treated. We become so angry that we pace the floor, plotting and scheming how we are going to get even. But wait a minute. Is this how God would want the Christian to handle this type of situation?
In the Bible Jesus uses a parable to teach us just what we should do (Luke 18:1-8). A widow who had been wronged by another brings her case to an unrighteous judge who didn’t fear God nor had respect for man. The widow was seeking vindication for the harm she had suffered. At first the judge ignored her, but she persistently kept coming to him until he gave in and gave her justification. We can learn several things from this parable.
Be persistent in prayer when someone has done harm to you. We shouldn’t take the matter into our own hands but bring it to God and leave it with Him. Call upon him persistently like Jesus did in the garden (Matt. 26:39-44) and Paul with his thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7-10). Let your heavenly Father know that you’ve been harmed or that you’re troubled, and you need His help.
Trust God to take care of it. The only way that we can bring our injustices to God and leave them with Him is to have complete trust and confidence in Him. In turn, we can rest assured that if I handle it in the way God wants, He will take care of it; and we don’t have to seek our own justification. When Jesus was mistreated, He didn’t return the same treatment (1 Pet. 2:21-23). Jesus, as a man living on this earth and as our example to follow, trusted in God to take care of the wrong that He suffered. If we are going to be like Jesus, we must do the same (1 Pet. 4:19).
Be at peace with it. The point of the parable is this: If an unrighteous judge who has no fear for God and no respect for man will vindicate a widow who persistently called on him, how much more will our faithful God, who loves us and cares for us, vindicate His people who persistently call upon Him? Jesus saidthat God will do so, and He will do so quickly (Luke 18:8)! We can be at peace knowing that we have left it in the hands of a loving Father who loves us, cares for us, and always keeps His promises (1 Pet. 5:7).
There are going to be times when the earthly authorities don’t live up to their responsibilities, and we won’t get the justification that we are due. Nevertheless, let us always take our hurts to God, leave them at His feet, and trust Him to handle it in His way and in His time. In doing so, we can live in peace knowing that God is in control and He’s holding this world in the palm of His hand.
One of life’s most difficult challenges is overcoming the harm that is done to us by others. No matter if it’s physical or emotional, hurts and harms are hard for us to deal with. When someone does harm to us, it’s human nature for our immediate reaction to be “You may have gotten me, but I’m going to get you so much worse!” We dwell on it as we lie in bed, and we can’t sleep thinking of how we were treated. We become so angry that we pace the floor, plotting and scheming how we are going to get even. But wait a minute. Is this how God would want the Christian to handle this type of situation?
In the Bible Jesus uses a parable to teach us just what we should do (Luke 18:1-8). A widow who had been wronged by another brings her case to an unrighteous judge who didn’t fear God nor had respect for man. The widow was seeking vindication for the harm she had suffered. At first the judge ignored her, but she persistently kept coming to him until he gave in and gave her justification. We can learn several things from this parable.
Be persistent in prayer when someone has done harm to you. We shouldn’t take the matter into our own hands but bring it to God and leave it with Him. Call upon him persistently like Jesus did in the garden (Matt. 26:39-44) and Paul with his thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7-10). Let your heavenly Father know that you’ve been harmed or that you’re troubled, and you need His help.
Trust God to take care of it. The only way that we can bring our injustices to God and leave them with Him is to have complete trust and confidence in Him. In turn, we can rest assured that if I handle it in the way God wants, He will take care of it; and we don’t have to seek our own justification. When Jesus was mistreated, He didn’t return the same treatment (1 Pet. 2:21-23). Jesus, as a man living on this earth and as our example to follow, trusted in God to take care of the wrong that He suffered. If we are going to be like Jesus, we must do the same (1 Pet. 4:19).
Be at peace with it. The point of the parable is this: If an unrighteous judge who has no fear for God and no respect for man will vindicate a widow who persistently called on him, how much more will our faithful God, who loves us and cares for us, vindicate His people who persistently call upon Him? Jesus said that God will do so, and He will do so quickly (Luke 18:8)! We can be at peace knowing that we have left it in the hands of a loving Father who loves us, cares for us, and always keeps His promises (1 Pet. 5:7).
There are going to be times when the earthly authorities don’t live up to their responsibilities, and we won’t get the justification that we are due. Nevertheless, let us always take our hurts to God, leave them at His feet, and trust Him to handle it in His way and in His time. In doing so, we can live in peace knowing that God is in control and He’s holding this world in the palm of His hand.
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom. 12:18-21).
–Jason Shackleford
