Pain, Lots of Pain

"This world is so messed up; I don't even want to live in it anymore."

Those were the words of a stranger I met while waiting for my pizza at Little Caesar's the other night. She was hurting, and she saw that hurt everywhere she turned. 

This week, another Rockfordian (from my hometown of Rockford, MN) died; he was two years older than me. This has been the craziest year for our small town. So many people are hurting. Sometimes I'm tempted to agree with this stranger; I'm tired of all the hurt.

Then I'm reminded of a Man who felt all of this pain with such more intensity than we could ever imagine. This man was given empty praise, betrayed, traded for a murderer, stripped, beaten, nailed to a tree, and buried in another man's tomb--all within one week. He was scoffed and spit upon. He was ultimately humiliated. And besides all of this, He held the weight of all the sin of the world upon His shoulders. 

He did this for us. He suffered and died and was buried and rose again for each one of us. And in His death and new life, He offers that to us! He offers us death--strange concept, huh? He invites us to die to our old natures and to live to Him. He gives us new life in Him, just as He had new life after three days in a tomb. New life!

Let me be cautious here though: we are not promised a bed of roses; there is still hurt in the world--we are imperfect people living in an imperfect world. I've felt a lot of it this year, both physical and emotional, and I know many of you have as well. However, He does provide comfort and joy. Comfort to help us through the difficult days that are stained with tears, and joy-- the joy of the LORD that is our strength (Nehemiah 6:8--good verse!)-- to fix our eyes on Christ instead of the circumstances at present. 

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:27 ESV)

Let us fix our eyes on Christ today, and in doing so, point others to His healing embrace as well. There is a lot of hurt in the world, and the only One who can truly bring comfort is God. Point others to that peace in the midst of all the chaos. And let yourself rest there as well.