Skip to main content

That Hurts!

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.  1 Corinthians 12:27


Monday night and all day yesterday I had a problem with a tooth bothering me.  It hurt like crazy!  Such a small portion of the body; yet when that tooth started hurting my entire body seemed to hurt.  I imagine as you read this, you can think of your own experiences with this as well; a stubbed toe, a broken bone and the list could go on.   As I was thinking on this, I was reminded that, as believers, we are also part of the body of Christ.  It made me wonder how we respond when a fellow Christian is hurting. Do we ignore them; criticize them; minimize their pain? Or do we instead help them; pray for them; ease their burden.  In short, do we love them and treat them with the care that we would treat our own body?    The fact is that one part of the body cannot hurt without the whole body hurting.  I talked to my Daughter in Georgia last week, and she had a rough day.  Let me tell you, I hurt as though it were me having the rough day.  I would have done anything to make her hurt go away.  That is how we should respond to others in the body of Christ when they hurt.  It should hurt us so much to see them hurt that we would want to help make their pain and hurt better.  Here are some things we can do:
  •          Ask God to make you specifically aware of when people are hurting.
  •   Remember that all us have hurts and struggles (it’s part of the world in which we live).
  •   Be honest when others ask how things are going? 
  •   Look for others that are going or have gone through the same things you are


I’m sure this is not exhaustive; the point is that there are things we can do when others hurt.  We just need to be available and decide we are going to do something to help.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What’s That Smell?

To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. 2Corinthians 2:16 Last break!  The shift was almost over. Then the unthinkable happened, this man appeared out of nowhere wanting to know where the flashlights were kept.  As we were on our way to the flashlights, I noticed that this man had a very strong odor.  I thought perhaps I could get in front of him so that the smell would not be as strong.   That, however, was not to be either since; he insisted on keeping pace and walking right beside me. By the time we got to where the flashlights were; I was practically running just to keep ahead of him.  I showed him the flashlights and made a hasty exit.  If you’re like me, you shower and even put on perfume or cologne so that you will not stink.  We are concerned that the smell coming from our body is not offensive to others.  As I write this, I wonder if we are as concerned with our spiritual aroma as ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grow Old Gracefully

I’d like to tell you about a lady I visited yesterday.   She is ninety-five years young.  She recently moved into nursing home.  She asked one of the workers how many times she would have to walk around the outside of the building in order to walk a mile.  She said the person told her about ten.   Then she leaned in really close and whispered, “I walked around twelve just to be sure I walked a mile.”  Hahahaha! What a lady!  She loves to keep active, even in a nursing home.  As we talked, I saw no anger or bitterness in her speech or actions. There was only a love for God, a heart of compassion, and a sense of humor. She has befriended the one "prickly pear" at the home because as she said, “I have to love her, so she knows Jesus loves her too.”  Wow!!! I need to live like that!  I want to show that much compassion for those around me that need Jesus.  She loved to talk about God and what he was teaching her. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thank You God For Turning Our Ashes into Beauty

There are tragedy and sadness in everyone's life, No one is exempt. Yet, in the midst of the hurt and pain, God is there. He takes the things that hurt us and make us sad and turns them into things are beautiful. The death of my mother  was a tragedy to my dad. However, because of that tragedy, my dad began to see his need for God. In his brokenness, he found a God that could make him whole.  God turned his ashes into beauty. My dad, in turn, taught me to love God.   I am blessed to know God as my savior because of my dad. God also blessed me with a lovely step-mom Life is harsh at times, and many things are sad,  Yet, if we let him, he will take our ashes and make them into a work of art.   He delights in making the ash heaps of our life beautiful.   When we are broken, God is near, and where there is sorrow, he will turn it into dancing.   Thank you, God, F...
Post a Comment
Read more