Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Pain Avoidance

I hurt my calf muscle yesterday while working out. I think I pulled it... but I am not sure. However, it has caused me to walk with a limp since it happened. Yesterday, I was still trying to walk normal... but today, I have figured out a way to walk without feeling the pain in my calf muscle. So at first, I thought my calf was getting better... but really, I just learned to move in such as way that avoids the pain while the muscle does what it needs to do go get fixed.

Isn't that what we do in life? We think things are getting better; but really, we just medicate life's pain in other ways.

Even as Christians... life does not really get better (contrary to what many of the preachers on TBN will tell you). Rather, we know Who to turn to when life is painful. The pain does not always go away... nor does the underlying problem causing the pain. (this is the point where the calf injury analogy breaks down... because my calf really is getting better and I will be running again before the week is out)

Unlike the pseudo strut that I naturally developed to avoid the pain in my calf, truly seeking refuge in Christ is not something we naturally do. The next time you walk into a bookstore, check out the Self-Help section and you will see my point proven. Furthermore, my new way of walking is only temporary. Eventually, my calf needs to heal for real. Christ offers ultimate healing... but it may take a lot longer than a couple days for that to take place. In fact, some of the hurts/troubles in our lives will never be fully healed this side of Heaven. But He promises us Himself in the midst of the pain... and really, that is more than enough.

2 comments:

palomita said...

"But He promises us Himself in the midst of the pain... and really, that is more than enough."

Amen.

The Traveler said...

"Christian Self-Help"! One of my biggest pet peeves! Truly one of the greatest contradictory statements of ALL TIME! Our Pastor has been going through Galatians and talking about how we have all the rights Christ had because we are heirs. He has talked about the son-ship and power and all the authority and all of the things that are "blessings". One thing he has not talked about is the scourging or the thorns or the beatings. We inherit those too. Not that I have to deal with that sort of persecution, but I think it inlays very well with you point about pain and how funny things like calf injuries remind us that we too are heirs of God's blessing.