Redeeming Your Pain: Steps to move from hurting to healing
When you hear the word redemption, what thoughts, descriptions do you supply to that word? One definition I was taught, and maybe you also were taught, is sacrifice, atonement for our sins; Jesus’ death on the cross liberated us from sin to experience freedom. While this definition holds true and will for all eternity, there is another definition of redemption that we can experience.
Definition of Redemption
The dictionary definition of redemption is “an act of atoning for guilt, a fault, or a mistake, or the state of having atoned; an act or the state of being rescued.” Again, there is no disputing that this is what Jesus did for us on the cross and continues to do for us as he constantly and consistently extends the invitation for all mankind to know him.
However, there is another definition for the word redemption. In Hebrew nasag ( נָשַׂג) means “To reach, overtake, attain.” The Greek equivalent katalambanō (καταλαμβάνω) means “To seize, comprehend or overtake.” Both words and their similar definitions herald a new way of looking at redemption, especially as it relates to our pain.
Redeeming our Pain
It appears sometimes that God gives me a word or phrase for the week! Monday I was traveling to work thinking on the cases that I had, and the words “Redeeming pain” came to mind. My life, and maybe yours, has been wrought with painful experiences. And, yet, today, I can reflect on that pain experience peace, calm, and hope. Why? Because my pain has been redeemed. Apparently, God knew other people needed to know that his week too!
The more I used this concept this week, the clearer God made it to me that no person’s pain in is vain. It can be seized, comprehended, and overtaken. This does not mean that we will never experience pain again; however, it allows us to know that we are not in our pain alone. Our pain, our tears, our heartaches can be redeemed.
Steps to Move from Hurting to Healing
1) Acknowledge the pain
Acknowledging our pain can feel “wrong.” We may believe we are required to be happy and joyful all the time. However, that is not scriptural. God tells us “In this world you will have trouble…” (John 16:33). He also tells to be courageous, brave, and patient in affliction. There would be no need for these words if we were never to experience pain.
Additionally, we cannot “seize” or “overtake” something we do not believe is present or are unwilling to acknowledge. If we want to experience the overcoming of pain, we also must endure the truth of its presence.
2) Recognizing our part
There is a twofold message to this component. First, sometimes we are the producers of our own pain. Sin has natural consequences. If we sin, we may experience the repercussions of our own decision making. To lessen the pain, we recognize our part in what we did so that we may repent, and turn from our ways to “…seek first his kingdom and righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).
Secondly, sometimes other people’s actions cause us pain. We may have not had a part in it, but how we respond to the people who brought the pain or how we react to others in our pain does matter. And our willingness to move through the pain to healing is in our hands as well. We can choose to let the pain overtake us, our we can begin the process of moving through it to overtake it.
3) Comprehending
Comprehending our pain is at times an arduous event. This is not a timed event either. We are not in a sprint; pain has its own timeline. However, when we are active in feeling it, we also become active in healing it.
Comprehending the pain is recognizing the anguish of our souls. David expresses this well in Psalm 69:4 “Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.” In verse 29, David further bellows out his pain, “But as for me, afflicted and in pain…” He is comprehending, facing, acknowledging his pain. Now he can move forward in seizing that pain, and so can we.
4) Seizing
You may think of Law and Order, FBI, NCIS type shows when you hear the word “seize.” However, this is not a rushing in and throwing life to the ground type of seizing. Rather, it is a purposeful and healthy acceptance of what is so that it may become a stepping a stone for us rather than a brick wall we cannot move past.
To seize our pain, we can lament. We can cry out to God as David did throughout the Psalms. Additionally, we begin to shift from the lament to the praise. Praising is source of seizing. It is not ignoring what is happening, or has happened to us, but, rather, it is an opportunity to work in God’s strength to seize the pain for good instead of remaining in the harm it may have caused (Genesis 50:20).
Lastly, as the conclusion of Psalm 69:29 conveys, “…may your salvation, God, protect me.” David knew he could not seize the pain on his own, but knew God’s strength would be sufficient for his protection. Sometimes the seizing is not found in the fight, but in the rest. Rest in knowing God is in control and is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).
Final Thoughts
No pain is easy to bear. Questions, doubts, skepticisms, and a host of emotions surrounding our pain may come, and that is okay. This key is not to not have those responses, but to work through them so that we can move to the place of acknowledging, recognizing, comprehending, and seizing what is before us. In this way, we allow God to move through our pain so that we may experience the redemption of our pain and know the hope set before us (Hebrews 6:18).