Thursday, February 24, 2011

Pain humbles, softens, melts.....

"Pain humbles the proud.  It softens the stubborn.  It melts the hard.  Silently and relentlessly, it wins battles deep within the lonely soul.  The heart alone knows its own sorrow, and not another person can fully share in it.  Pain operates alone;  it needs no assistance.  It communicates its own message whether to statesman or servant, preacher or prodigal, mother or child.  By staying, it refuses to be ignored.  By hurting, it reduces its victim to profound depths of anguish.  And it is at that anguishing point that the sufferer either submits and learns, developing maturity and character;  or resists and becomes embittered, swamped by self-pity, smothered by self-will."  (Killing Giants/Pulling Thorns by Swindoll, page 56)

Gentle women....our lives are full of pain in many forms.  Let us seek the LORD's face, crying out to Him for strength so that we may choose to submit and learn thus developing godly maturity and character.  May we glorify Him as we choose to do next things for Him!

2 comments:

Cherry Bieber said...

These posts on pain are so excellent, Jill! Thank you so much for taking the time. I have passed them on to others many times already!

The Piper's Wife said...

Praise the LORD! From what I have observed in the Church these last decades is the Body needing encouragement and not receiving it. We are wounded and worse. This affects us in so many ways. Let us see with His eyes those who need to be uplifted. Thank you for doing just that, Cherry.