Tag: bitterness

‘People Pain’

Jennifred Jones

Of all the types of pain in the world, it seems the worst one to endure and the hardest one to deal with is people-pain.

This morning at work a man came into the office so angry about something, that I wasn’t sure what was on his mind. I greeted him with kind words and then he, without saying a word or changing his expression, threw his paperwork over the counter at me and turned and left. I told him thank you and wished him a good day, just as I would anyone else coming in the office.

A gentle answer turns away wrath.

For him, this is normal behavior. He seems not to know joy, peace, kindness and that saddens me. He must be holding onto pain and bitterness from something long ago.

The thought came to me while eating lunch, ‘People have to free themselves of their pain.’ Whether they take it out on someone else or themselves, they have a need to rid themselves of their pain. Of course the ways many people try to do this doesn’t give genuine relief; it may just be enough to keep the pressure cooker from exploding inside them.

I thought, ‘God did not create His creation to endure pain and suffering…especially emotional pain and what I now call ‘people-pain’…pain caused through relationships with others.

Yes, we will have to endure people-pain and all sorts of emotional pain and suffering while we live on this planet; however, God did not intend us to bear it alone.

God provided a way to get rid of the burden of pain and suffering caused in our relationships with others. We have to take it all to Jesus. He says, “Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately andcares about you watchfully.” I Peter 5:7 AMP.

We have to give it up; give the people causing pain up; say to God, “I can’t take it any longer! You deal with it for me.’

He is there to help you in your time of trouble.

Jesus is our pain killer. He bore it so we didn’t have to. We will have many, many pains and cares, troubles and worries every day, and His shoulders are big enough to handle them all!

Every single pain!!!

God didn’t make you to bear the pain. He said, “I will.” But you have to give it to Him first. You have to know He cares and that you can take it all to Jesus and He won’t make fun of you for coming, or chastise you for not being strong on your own. He says, “Come to Me.”

I’m praying for that man to take it to Jesus so he can be free. Yes it is his choice, but I am still praying for him to make that good choice.

How do you handle your ‘people-pain’?

 

 

A New and Different Way

Jennifred Jones

I believe God has called us to a different way. Jesus said I will show you a better way.

In Moses day,  God distinguished Himself and His people by the way they dressed, what they wore, what they ate… that was how others knew they belonged to God. It was also one way God’s people would remember who they belonged to. It was part of their identity.
Since Jesus came, God said he was showing us a new way. He says people will know we are Christians by our love. No, it’s not by our address or how we wear our hair, or how much jewelry we do or don’t wear, or if we can or can’t wear fingernail polish, short sleeves, hats or beards. Those are not to be our identifiers. Our identifiers are that we show love to the world in the way that Jesus did. We overcome evil with good…we give a soft answer to turn away wrath… we become peacemakers instead of fault finders.

‘Why should I do something good for that person? They don’t deserve it, in fact they did something bad to me and they should pay for it.’ That’s returning evil for evil and will cause more hard feelings and nothing will be changed except the walls of hate and bitterness grow higher.

Jesus is the great reconciler who made us and wants us to be at peace with each other. Return good for evil even when it is not deserved. One quick look at how much we ‘really deserve’ helps us keep things in perspective.
Actually we’re all the same, seeking love, forgiveness, help; we want reconciliation, but we’re stuck hiding behind fears of abandonment, isolation, rejection- thinking if we can only get even it will fix their (our) problem. But it doesn’t work that way in God’s economy.
Jesus went about doing good, and He hopes we’ll do the same.
When we do good, were tapping into a higher strength than our own. We’re tapping into God’s power and He will do the work that needs to be done.

The interesting thing about doing good is: when you do something good for someone else, you always feel good too.

Who in your life today needs you to shower some good upon?