Sometimes Pain Is a Good Thing - Encouragement for Today - August 30, 2018

Peace and perspective from God's timeless truths. [View this email in your browser]( Encouragement for Today --------------------------------------------------------------- [Kenisha Bethea] August 30, 2018 Sometimes Pain Is a Good Thing [KENISHA BETHEA]( "Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” [Romans 2:4]( (NLT) My friend limped into the doctor’s office, barely able to move the offending leg; I went along for support. “Where does it hurt?” her doctor probed. “What happened?” Hiking had happened. More accurately, falling while hiking. My friend rolled her ankle coming down the rocky crag of a mountain. She took some pain pills and hobbled around for a few days, but eventually with even the slightest movement, the pain caused her to recoil in tears as the doctor leaned in to assess the affected area. “I know it doesn’t feel good,” the doctor said with a smile, cupping the ankle with one hand and gently touching the inflamed area. “But the pain is actually a good thing!” Yes, spoken with a smile. My friend and I still joke about the look she gave the doctor. It was as if a combination of her thoughts came out through her expression and her eyes. A mix of “Wait, what?” and “Well if pain is so good, lean in again, and I’ll give you all the ‘goodness’ you can handle.” Mercy. The doctor went on, “The nerves in your ankle send pain signals to your brain. Your brain processes the pain as something is wrong, and you seek care for your trauma. It’s really genius the way God created our bodies to respond to pain. If you sprained your ankle but didn’t have pain, you would go about your daily activities and eventually experience a break or worse.” Until that day, I’d never heard anyone call pain good. I’d always thought of pain as discomfort to dodge at all costs or an ache to avoid with continuous doses of ibuprofen — not a tool designed by God for my good. That day in the doctor’s office, I realized that physical elements of pain often mirror the spiritual sorrow I experience when I ignore God’s kindness in the discomfort of my distress. [Romans 2:4]( explains it well. “Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” God’s kindness is what draws us to Himself in salvation, but God is also kind in the details of our day-to-day lives. I’m convinced He sometimes uses pain signals deep within our souls to call to us to seek help, seek Him and avoid further suffering. It’s sad to say, but: - We might never pay attention to an addiction until the pain of a destroyed life seems eminent. - We might never get hold of our anger or selfishness until the pain of a loved one leaving the relationship becomes our reality. Maybe we feel an ache within, but over the years we’ve developed a high threshold for the pain. Or perhaps the stinging stopped because we’re heavily medicated with “spiritual ibuprofen” — numbing the pain with whatever (or whomever) will give us temporary relief. [Continue reading...]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Subscription Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( --------------------------------------------------------------- © 2018 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Encouragement for Today. [Link](