HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 245
page A243
• 2 SA MU E L 1 3 :1 2 | “No, my brother!” she cried. “Don’t be foolish! Don’t do this to me! Such
wicked things aren’t done in Israel.”
Determine the source of your pain. It may be a consequence of your own sin, or it may be
someone else who has hurt you. As you seek God in prayer and talk with others (family,
close friends, trained counselors), the source of your pain will become clear. Only then can
you develop the right plan for dealing with it.
• PSA L M 1 9 :8 | The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The
commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.
Immerse yourself in God’s Word and find encouragement, revival, comfort, joy, and
insight.
• R O MA NS 8 :2 3 -2 5 | For we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We,
too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted
children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we
were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look
forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
Develop a godly perspective toward pain. This helps you focus less on the pain itself
(which can cause bitterness and discouragement) and more on how this pain can help
you develop stronger character and greater sensitivity to others who may be hurting.
• C O L O SS I A NS 3 :1 6 | Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach
and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.
• PSA L M 3 7 :3 0 | The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong.
• 1 C O R I NT H I A NS 1 2 :8 | To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice. . . .
• PR O VE R B S 1 2 :1 5 | Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.
Seek help from godly counselors. Sometimes it is enough to get advice from trusted
friends and family members. At other times it is necessary to talk with a trained counselor
who can help you pinpoint your pain and provide effective ways, in accordance with God’s
Word, to deal with it.
• R E VE L AT I O N 2 1 :1 -4 | Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and
the old earth had disappeared. . . . I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look,
God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people.
God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be
no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
Recognize that pain will not go on forever. In heaven, there will be no more pain.
• PSA L M 3 2 :1 | Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven.
• C O L O SS I A NS 3 :1 3 | Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who
offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
• MAT T H E W 1 8 :2 1 -2 2 | Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I
forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied,
“but seventy times seven!”
Forgiving those who have sinned against you does wonders in removing the pain of hurt,
anger, and bitterness in your heart.
• 1 PE T E R 3 :9 | Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you.
Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will
grant you his blessing.
• L U K E 6 :2 8 | “Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.”
Bless those who cause you pain. Retaliation and revenge only compound your pain.
HelpFinder
• 1 PE T E R 4 :1 -2 | So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves
with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered
physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives
chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.
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Don’t give up hope or give in to the kind of thinking that convinces you God doesn’t care.
If you believe God doesn’t care, you push away the One who can help you the most.