Feeling pain is not a sin, but….

Jesus undoubtedly experienced huge emotional pain during His time on earth. He was betrayed, abandoned, falsely accused, rejected, mocked and abused. But He did not sin. A wounded heart is every bit as painful as wounded flesh and, in some measure, we have all known such feelings.

The question is: “How have we responded to this wounding?”

It’s not a sin to experience depression or despair. It’s not a sin to have a mind damaged by the issues of life, including the wrongful behaviour of others. It’s not a sin to struggle with a distorted identity or a broken heart. No-one would ever say that to have a broken bone, sustained in a car accident, is a sin. However, the challenge, for followers of Jesus, is how we deal with the inner broken-ness of our lives.

The Bible tells us that a wounded heart is not an excuse for a sinful heart, however justifiable it might seem to pursue self-comfort, resentment, criticism and bitterness. It’s true that very often our wounds have been the consequence of someone else’s abusive actions, and the world says that, somehow, they should pay for what they’ve done. But Jesus has stepped into this world and offered a new solution to the consequence of people’s sin. He gives a personal challenge to each one of us: If I follow His ways, He can and does heal the pain of my wounded heart.

His way is firstly that I stop trying to fix it with what are usually sinful attitudes and behaviours, secondly that I choose to forgive those who caused the damage, and finally that I let Jesus provide the deep comfort needed to deal with the pain. Countless numbers of people can testify to the truth of such divine healing in their lives. Let’s join them.

Prayer: Father, my wounded heart is no excuse for sinful attitudes and actions. I choose to find relief from pain Your way and not mine. Please help me to do this. Amen.