the painful places

A couple weeks ago, I had my first ever appointment with a massage therapist. After some general information gathering and small talk, she asked one simple question: Where are your painful places? And instantly my mind crowds with the death of a loved one, keen disappointments from years ago, trials, and (I'll be honest) a few realities of single life. Painful places. Obviously, the question was not meant to be taken that way. But it set in motion an analogy that would consume my thoughts long after I left that gentle room. Here's some of those thoughts.

We all have painful places 

Maybe it's my Millennial showing, but sometimes I wish my aches and pains were something special. Like Beth's Syndrome or something. But they're not. Many of us have chronic or recurrent physical pain of some kind.

And that's true of painful places in our lives as well. It's what the Fall did. It created pain. Created loss. Created death. Trials. Sin-bent flesh. Failure. Disappointment. And if we're not experiencing one of these at this moment, we will. Or we bear the lasting imprint of when we have. 

God will work on these places

The therapist didn't just point out my sore muscles. But sometimes that's as far as we let God go. Through His Word and Holy Spirit He identifies our painful places, and respond with "I know, God. It's horrible. I can't get victory over this. I can't heal from this loss. I can't get past this trial. This failure. This hurt. I get it. I'm a horrid Christian for having this place. I'm useless." 

But God does not reveal our painful places for us to wallow in shame over them. He desires to work on them. The pressure He's applying is meant to heal. To bring relief. To transform our broken places until they reflect His whole image. Do not pull away from this work. Keep yourself under the pressure of His Word. Surround yourself with it. Meditate on it. Apply it. He is working in you to will and do of His good pleasure. Bank on it. 

Sometimes we're unaware of them

I expected the therapist to work on certain muscles. But what I didn't expect was for her to find more. There were tense, inflamed places I didn't know I had until they were touched. 

And so it is with God. He's not content to work on the most painful parts of our lives. He's after complete healing. So don't despair when He places His hand on an area that you didn't know needed healing. This is His grace. 

God's working may not feel good or bring immediate relief

Yeah, I winced a few times. I got goosebumps (I do not like goosebumps.) And some muscles were definitely sore afterward. But now I'm experiencing tremendous relief. 

Healing wounds itch. Bones being set? Not fun. Rehabilitation of tendons and muscles? Just ask someone in physical therapy. So don't faint when God reproves an area of your life. When He sets (disciplines) a painful place in line with His truth. When He touches a memory made sore by bitterness. It's not going to be joyful.  But it's for our good. Let yourself be exercised by this work. And watch it yield tremendous relief. 

God identifies with our pain 

Physical pain is personal. But when the therapist said, "I can tell that there's pain here." I can't explain what that meant to me. She identified with my pain to an extent most cannot. 

God didn't create pain. He created perfection. Well He knows how sin has marred what He made. And He would not stand aloof and watch it happen. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to take on our form. Identified with mankind by fashioning Himself as a man. Experienced fantastic loss in this incarnation. Knew pain and rejection. A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Tested in every way we are tested. And all of that? That was not enough.

Christ would experience man's most painful place: a sin-induced separation from God. He severed Himself. Rent the triune bond of the Godhead as the Father hid His face from Christ on the cross. Christ, who was bearing my sin in His own body on the tree. Think long on that. There could not be a more intimate identification than this. Could not be a greater love than this. A greater offer than this. An offer of healing. Healing of the painful places. 

................................................

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb. 4) 

Beth