Don’t Take Away the Pain

Brigitta, a pastor’s wife, emailed me this note: “We are trying to help a friend deal with his wife’s death at age 34 from leukemia. When we were going through her death with him at the hospital, I was in the chapel crying out to the Lord and telling Him, ‘Lord, I just don’t want the pain anymore.’

“The Lord said, ‘Okay Brigitta, I can take away the pain, but if I do, I will also have to take away the love.’

“I said. ‘Oh no, Lord, don’t do that.’”

People’s deepest needs are met when they realize how much God loves them, and we must be there to help them feel His love. Being willing to share the pain of others is a part of sharing their lives.
Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us” (1 Thes. 2:8).

God is willing to feel my pain. Love is willing to feel another’s pain.

Thank You, Jesus, that You love me enough to feel my pain.