What If It Hurts?

Are there times in your life where something just hurts you from deep within? Perhaps something that someone did, or a relationship just causes you to hurt. At times you feel like you want to cry, and you can't stop thinking about it. You just can't focus! You keep asking yourself, "When is it going to stop?", "Will I ever have peace?"

I wish I had a magical solution for this kind of pain, but the reality is that there is no cure other than God. There are times that you might feel all alone, yet He is with you and knows the hurt and pain in your heart. I know that you have probably heard what I am writing here before. Perhaps when you were hurt, some of your Christian friends told you to not worry because God will give you peace!

The reality is that God will truly give you peace, however, it is not always as you think it would be. Sometimes, pain and hurt is good for us to develop character and patience. So, here is my suggestion, if you are going through  a hurtful situation, remember that everything in this world is just temporary. Nothing lasts. There is only one thing about you that lasts forever an it is your soul. Make, the decisions to use the pain and hurt in your life, to draw closer to God. Forgive. Because you can spend eternity with Him.

James 1:12
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Greatness of His Sacrifice

If we truly understood the greatness of Jesus' sacrifice, then our lives would look much more different than they are now. Many can't stop but think to themselves, wasn't he God? The creator of everything? Then why is it a sacrifice to create a way for his creation to go to heaven?

Instead of asking the above question, ask yourselves, if God hates sin, why would he create a way for the sinner to come face to face with Him? Why would he love me and you? The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was the most difficult thing for God to do. God had to create a bridge between his holiness and our unholiness. A bridge that would cost Him a lot of pain and grief. A bridge that would cost His humiliation.   Think about this for a second, if you are the owner of of a very large company, would you humiliate yourself so you can raise the lowest of lows to be in the same office as you? Yet, the owner of existence humbled himself as a man. His sacrifice is something you and I will never understand because we barely live a life that represents sacrifice. Don't get me wrong, there are many people who live their lives for God and give up everything they have. They do it because they have understood a bit of what Jesus sacrifice was really meant to be, but for the most part, Christians just live their lives like anybody else. But like I said earlier, if we truly understood the greatness of Jesus' sacrifice, then our lives would look much more different than they are now.

Kindness Never Fails!

Many years ago, when I still lived in Iran, my dad and I along with a couple of my cousins went fishing in a small beautiful pond in the city of Babol (Northern Iran). While Fishing was my favorite thing to do, I always enjoyed goofing around and catching frogs or playing in the mud to find warms to use as bait.

In one occasion as we were fishing, one of the natives of that area, who spend most of his time around the pond to provide for his family, asked my dad for help with something. To be honest, I don't even remember what he needed, but I do remember that my dad was happy to help him. As soon as his problem was solved, he took his shirt off, jumped into the water (the same pond water that we would not dare to jump into due to all the plants that your feet could get caught on, or all the leaches). After staying down there for a little while he came back up with some green plants in his hands which he handed one to each one of us. He had gone down there and collected lily pad seeds. He taught us how to eat them, and I have to tell you that after trying them, I fell in love with the flavor immediately. He had returned a small favor to my dad, by jumping into that water and getting us each some lily pad seeds.

This story might not have a significant meaning for you, but as a child, I learned that when you bless someone, you get blessed even more. In this case, my dad blessed someone, and through that, his whole family was blessed with something new and unique. There is always a reward for an act of kindness.

Luke 6:38 
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”