The Wounds That Don’t Heal
If one has spent any time at all out on the battlefield of spiritual combat, he/she knows what it’s like to be counted among the walking wounded. What one may not be aware is the way in which the good and evil spiritual forces around us will make use of the wounds we receive.
It is when many find themselves in the darkest days of their lives that God and the things of God become a personal reality for them. As long as one is satisfied with the way things are or will be, there is little, if any, motivation to change. In that mode, God and the things of God are of little interest totals Man, let alone being made a priority.
When one faces such things as disappointment, hardship, adversity, and loss, it is also a time when the devil, who, "...prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1Pet. 5: 8 NASB)," will make his move. Seeing that God may have gotten our attention, the devil must act fast if he is going to turn the momentum of the game in his favor.
Seldom does the devil take the direct approach. He prefers to use third parties to be do his bidding. If his intended targets knew up front that it was he behind the action, it would be a much harder sale to make.
Accordingly, spiritual combat is not usually manifested in the type of overt activity such as we see in Luke 8: 29. Neither is it usually manifested in ways portrayed in horror films. Spiritual combat is mostly a war of words, but with eternal benefits (John 3: 16/1Cor. 3: 14) or consequences (Rev. 20: 15/1Cor. 3: 15). If these words can be delivered by someone in a position of trust or otherwise close to the intended targets, the odds of success increases significantly.
Spoken words can comfort, inspire, evangelize, and edifiy. But spoken words can also wound,, destroy, and deceive.
In the midst of this war of words, both good and evil forces will make use of all different kinds of communicators and means of communication. Those with spiritual discernment, for instance, can see the devil's agenda being promoted in many forms of media as the viewers/listeners are entertained.
Most communication is actually non-verbal. Failing to walk the walk as well as one talks the talk can render our words useless. Our actions speak much louder than our words.
The devil is a spiritual war veteran with thousands of years experience interacting with the human race. He has mastered the art of knowing what missiles (words) to fire and when to fire them for maximum effect. The warheads on these missiles contain insults, ridicule, false, destructive, deceptive, distractive, and misleading information. It matters not (to the devil) if it takes sweet or bitter candy, as long as it achieves the end result he wants.
. . .
Here in the Church Age, it is the function of God the Holy Spirit to teach and to bring to mind (John 14: 26) from out of one's edified soul structure (Matt. 7: 24-27) the appropriate doctrine to address any spiritual situation. Having a well-stocked soul structure is the result of one's obedience (2Pet. 3: 18) to have grown in the knowledge of the Lord. The willingness to apply (James 1: 22) this knowledge is the result of having reached the upper levels of spiritual maturity.
At the same time, the devil wants to fill our soul structure with as much human viewpoint and garbage that we can hold. Just as God the Holy Spirit with bring accurate Bible Doctrine to our conscious minds at the appropriate time, the devil will bring the most destructive garbage to our conscious minds we have stored away, as well. Wounded souls are breeding grounds for all kinds of destructive thoughts to fester. It is by no coincidence that when things upset us that all the negativity we have stored away concerning that person or things comes to mind like a volcano.
Obtaining, refining, and the willingness to godly knowledge is developed over time by daily spending sanctified time in the study, and in the ongoing application of the Word of God.
The Biblical defense against the Eph. 6:16 missiles (words/actions of others) is the shield of faith. In this instance, this shield of faith is accurate doctrine. Matt. 7: 24-27 preparedness is what limits the damage that the satanic attacks can cause, and increases our ability to recover from the wounds that we do receive.
Therefore, when processing the words and thoughts that enter our soul structure, we must develop the ability to identify the good or evil source and the good or evil objective that the sender has in mind.
It is not so much the words, but our response to them that determines the extent of the good or the harm they produce (Heb. 4: 2/Gen. 3/Matt. 7: 24-27).
As children, most of us have heard one version or another of an old adage telling us that sticks and stones can break our bones, but names can never hurt us. A quick research revealed that it was published in The Christian Recorder, a publication of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1862, but with a significant difference. In this publication, it apparently taught that words will never b-r-e-a-k (as opposed to hurt) me.
Names and words do hurt,, but rather or not they break us is a choice that WE make.
Among other things, Jesus was spoken of as having lost His mind (Mark 3: 21), being a drunk and a glutton (Matt. 11: 19), a performer of demonic activity (Mark 3: 22), having an unclean spirit (Mark 3: 30), being a blasphemer (Matt. 26: 65) hanging out with the wrong crowd (Matt. 11:19), a deceiver and an enemy of the state (Luke 23:2).
Like our Master, His true disciples are going to be slandered, maligned, persecuted, and hated. We have no control over what comes out of the mouths of other people, but we have complete control over how we will respond to the words they speak.
Nothing infuriates the devil or evil-minded people than to have thrown their best shot only to see their intense target get back up.
Advancing disciples will learn soon enough that the taming our own tongue, let alone the tongues of others, is beyond human ability (James 3: 8).
The point of control over what comes out of our own mouths is found in what thoughts we choose to make a part of our Mathew 7: 24-27 soul structure. When provoked, inspired, or otherwise motivated, whatever good or bad we have stored in our soul will come out of our mouths, impacting others.
"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart (Luke 6: 45 NASB)."
These words can heal or wound, edify or deceive, encourage or discourage, those we speak to or on whom we unload onto in a moment of unrestrained anger.
Note that the wounds that God sends or allows (Job 2: 10) can be just as painful as the ones that are self-induced, come from other people, or are the result of satanic attacks. Job did not smile when he lost his ten children, his wealth, or his health, but DID praise the Lord (), acknowledging the sovereignty of God. Job acknowledged that in the individual plan of God, God will send or allow both blessings and adversity in order to accomplish a divine objective.
Many Christians pray, "THY will be done (Matt.6: 10)," but what they really pray for is for MY will to be done. The wounds received when our expectations are not fulfilled can be of the type that do not heal if not treated properly. To make prayer requests in the name of Jesus (John 14:13) does not obligate God to do anything outside of His will . Praying in the name of Jesus acknowledges the free access to the throne of grace that the Lord Jesus Christ made possible.
Misidentifying the purpose and place for prayer is what sets the stage for disappointment when our prayer requests do not line up with the will of God. Wounds from what some perceive to be "unanswered" prayer can have serious consequences. It's not that prayers weren't answered. It's a matter of not receiving the answer we wanted. All prayer requests receive a yes, no, or not right now response.
I believe that the greatest examples of faith are NOT the believers who receive all of overt Blessings while here on Earth, but the ones who maintained their trust and confidence in God even though they did NOT receive all that they thought they had coming (Heb. 11: 39) to them.
This was the bone of contention between God and the devil in the case of Job. The devil insisted that if Job lost the blessings that he had received from God, that he (Job) would turn on God. The devil lost his argument in the case of Job, but has succeeded in removing many disciples from the battlefield after suffering the wounds of disappointment that did not heal.
True discipleship is a costly venture. Jesus taught His followers to count the cost of discipleship (Luke 14: 25-33). Dealing with wounds received along the road to spiritual maturity is a part of the cost of discipleship. Scripture (1Cor.15: 19) concedes that if what true Christianity brings to us here on Earth is all it has to offer, then Christians are to be pitied more than any other group!
Evangelical words that fail to tell the whole story (Matt. 13: 21) set the stage for wounds that won't heal when the Christian experience here on Earth does not turn out to be the peaches and cream they were led to expect.
Know that the devil will be there to offer (or to re-offer) a religious system of ceremonies and good works to secure the earthly and eternal blessings of God. Such systems look good and feel good, but will not produce the desired end result. That is why the devil promotes all of them in this war of words. Like many forms of cancer in the natural realm, such systems of Man-made religions can involve a pain-free wound here on earth , but a devastating end result (Matt. 7: 21-23).
With the enabling pre-salvation ministry of God the Holy Spirit (Heb. 3:15), the Gospel Message is relatively easy to accept. We are only asked to believe (John 3: .16, 18). It's benefits are immediate and forever secure. But true discipleship is a life long, uphill, conflict (Matt. 10: 34). If one is executing the post (after) salvation spiritual life of discipleship, his/her daily walk with God will be one of conflict (Matt. 10:34), but with a sense of confidence (John 8: 31, 32) and peace (Phil. 4:7) in the midst of spiritual warfare. The absence of any one of these characteristics is an indicator that a 2Cor. 13:5 self-examination is in order.
Many of the wounds we need to address are self-inflicte as a result of self-centernes and comparing our lot in life with others.
Scripture speaks of envying the prosperity of the wicked (Psalms 73). But for some, the prosperity of the godly can be just as challenging if one develops the "Where's mine?" (Matt. 19: 27) attitude, or compares his/her earthly prosperity with fellow believers.
God places (or changes) our socio-economic environment and location(s) in keeping with the individual plan that He has in mind for each one of us. In keeping with the plan of God, one can find him/herself homeless sharing a barrel-fire under a bridge; in the lap of luxury rubbing elbows with the rich and famous; or naked and penniless nailed to a cross!
Do many of us not often pray for His will to be done? Being (or being put) where He wants us to be at any given time or stage of life in order to do what He wants us to be doing IS a major part of being in the will (plan) of God. As the old saying goes, be careful what you ask (pray) for!
Wherever we are and whatever condition or circuit that we find ourselves, Christians are there to be a ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador is well versed on the policies of the kingdom he/she represents.
God desires that all men be presented with the Gospel Message, and that all believers be conformed, in thought and action, to His likeness. Carrying out these marching orders (Matt. 28: 19, 20) is what gives purpose and meaning to life no matter what else is going on around us.
God is not impressed by self-induced poverty. There is nothing wrong with enjoying legitimately obtained prosperity (3John 1:2). But keep in mind that any and all circumstances (Phil. 4: 12), advancing disciples are wherever they are for His glory and not for their own benefit (Luke 12:48).
The places that God has in mind may be bring riches or poverty, earthly success or loss, popularity or rejection, health or illness, fellowship or isolation. Paul composed some of the most edifying passages of New Testament Scripture from prison cells. Jesus accomplished His greatest deed nailed to the cross.
. . .
When we receive wounds of discipline for something we did wrong, most of us can come to accept it. It is when it is pain that is/was undeserved that our trust, confidence, and willingness to move forward in the plan of God will be put to the test.
These tests are not for God to see how well we are getting along in the plan of God. God already knows that. These tests are for US to see how well we are getting along with God's plan. How well WE handle (or fail to handle) the hurtful and offensive words and/actions of others IS one of DAILY tests that we can use to assess own progress. Scripture (James 1:26) teach that if one cannot control his own tongue, that man's religion is useless!
Misidentifying the source and the motive for sending (or allowing) the pain and suffering that we receive can blind us to the objective that the source has in mind.
Was the pain self-induced? Was the pain sent (or allowed) by God? Was the pain sent by the devil or his forces of evil? Was the pain sent by other people? Was the pain to edify, discipline, or to re-direct the course of our lives? Was the pain sent to hurt or to destroy us?
In the natural realm, diabetics are well aware that even the smallest wound can lead to serious complications.
Know that In the spiritual realm, when wounds of the soul are not addressed, the devil (1Peter 5: 8) and/or his Eph. 6: 12 forces of evil will be right there to exploit the situation.
The forces of evil will raise the age old-questions of where was God, or what type of God would allow such and such a thing to happen.
In the midst of our disappointments, the devil will point to the prosperity of wicked in order to throw salt into our open wound in an attempt to destroy the intimacy (if it existed) in our individual walk with the Lord, and our willingness to move forward in the plan of God.
There are Biblical answers (Psalms 73/Job 2:10) to these age-old questions, but one must make these principles a part of his/her edified soul structure (Matt.7: 24-27) before the storms of life hit. When the inevitable storms do hit, one must be willing to apply the principles if the devil is to be denied the (Eph. 4: 27 NASB) opportunity to exploit the situation.
Both God and the devil will make use of pain and suffering. The difference is that God will send or allow pain and suffering for our ultimate good (Romans 8: 28/Job 2:10), whereas the devil will use pain and suffering for our ultimate destruction.
The forces of evil will use pain and suffering to drive a wedge between Gospel Message and an unsaved soul. The forces of evil will use pain and suffering to drive a wedge between a born again believer and the desire to develop and apply an edified soul structure.
Advancing disciples will learn soon enough that there IS going to be a degree of both deserved (Heb. 12: 6) and undeserved (Phil. 1: 29) suffering associated with the post (after) salvation spiritual life of discipleship. Many Sunday-morning Christians do not experience much adversity associated with discipleship because they pose no threat to the devil's agenda. Some unwittingly, actually promote the devil's agenda.
It does not say too much for the quality of one's post (after) salvation spiritual life when the forces of evil determine one is not worth the bullet, or worse, chooses to encourage the type of "Christianity" that one promoted.
Suffering associated with divine discipline is never pleasant, but comes from a loving Father (Heb. 12: 6).
As we spiritually mature, we will stop blaming other people and other things for the pain and suffering that we bring upon ourselves as a result of the negative choices that we make. As we spiritually mature, we will become aware of how our negative words have hurt others, and the need for our own confession and forgiveness (1John 1: 9/Matt. 6: 12). This will instill in us a desire to develop the willingness to forgive others for the painful words they speak.
Living with an unforgiving spirit damages our own walk with the Lord (Matt. 6:15).
Our Lord set the example by enduring undeserved suffering on the cross for the benefit of others. He did nothing to deserve the suffering that the plan of God required of Him.
“He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastising for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed (Isa 53:5 NASB).”
As horrific as His physical suffering was, His greatest suffering was the spiritual death (separation from God) that He, in His humanity suffered on the cross. He suffered the separation from God on the cross that we deserved, and would have otherwise experienced in Hell for all of eternity.
Recognizing the source and treating the wounds received along the road to spiritual maturity plays a critical part in being one able to say, "...the time of my departure (physical death) has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith (2Tim. 4: 7 NASB/parentheses mine)."
* * *
Another reason that God sends or allows suffering to take place along the way is to prepare us to minister to others. There are times when it takes one who has "been there" to lead others out of the darkness that they find themselves and into the light.
* * *
Then there are the faithful wounds from friends (Prob. 27: 6). These wounds can be very painful to receive, come unexpectedly, and cut deep down to bone exposing a painful truth. Such friends risk the relationship in order to carry a message that God wants delivered. But as the old saying goes, a friend in need is a friend indeed.
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy (Prov. 27: 6 NASB)."
In closing, keep in mind we have all have been wounded, and have wounded others. There will be more wounds to come along the road to spiritual maturity. By identifying the source and the objective in mind, we can choose to use the experience to advance in the spiritual life, or we can allow the wounds that do not heal to impede, or even destroy the quality of our post salvation spiritual life here on Earth, and in doing so, diminish the quality (1Cor. 3: 15) of our experience in eternity.
If one has spent any time at all out on the battlefield of spiritual combat, he/she knows what it’s like to be counted among the walking wounded. What one may not be aware is the way in which the good and evil spiritual forces around us will make use of the wounds we receive.
It is when many find themselves in the darkest days of their lives that God and the things of God become a personal reality for them. As long as one is satisfied with the way things are or will be, there is little, if any, motivation to change. In that mode, God and the things of God are of little interest totals Man, let alone being made a priority.
When one faces such things as disappointment, hardship, adversity, and loss, it is also a time when the devil, who, "...prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1Pet. 5: 8 NASB)," will make his move. Seeing that God may have gotten our attention, the devil must act fast if he is going to turn the momentum of the game in his favor.
Seldom does the devil take the direct approach. He prefers to use third parties to be do his bidding. If his intended targets knew up front that it was he behind the action, it would be a much harder sale to make.
Accordingly, spiritual combat is not usually manifested in the type of overt activity such as we see in Luke 8: 29. Neither is it usually manifested in ways portrayed in horror films. Spiritual combat is mostly a war of words, but with eternal benefits (John 3: 16/1Cor. 3: 14) or consequences (Rev. 20: 15/1Cor. 3: 15). If these words can be delivered by someone in a position of trust or otherwise close to the intended targets, the odds of success increases significantly.
Spoken words can comfort, inspire, evangelize, and edifiy. But spoken words can also wound,, destroy, and deceive.
In the midst of this war of words, both good and evil forces will make use of all different kinds of communicators and means of communication. Those with spiritual discernment, for instance, can see the devil's agenda being promoted in many forms of media as the viewers/listeners are entertained.
Most communication is actually non-verbal. Failing to walk the walk as well as one talks the talk can render our words useless. Our actions speak much louder than our words.
The devil is a spiritual war veteran with thousands of years experience interacting with the human race. He has mastered the art of knowing what missiles (words) to fire and when to fire them for maximum effect. The warheads on these missiles contain insults, ridicule, false, destructive, deceptive, distractive, and misleading information. It matters not (to the devil) if it takes sweet or bitter candy, as long as it achieves the end result he wants.
. . .
Here in the Church Age, it is the function of God the Holy Spirit to teach and to bring to mind (John 14: 26) from out of one's edified soul structure (Matt. 7: 24-27) the appropriate doctrine to address any spiritual situation. Having a well-stocked soul structure is the result of one's obedience (2Pet. 3: 18) to have grown in the knowledge of the Lord. The willingness to apply (James 1: 22) this knowledge is the result of having reached the upper levels of spiritual maturity.
At the same time, the devil wants to fill our soul structure with as much human viewpoint and garbage that we can hold. Just as God the Holy Spirit with bring accurate Bible Doctrine to our conscious minds at the appropriate time, the devil will bring the most destructive garbage to our conscious minds we have stored away, as well. Wounded souls are breeding grounds for all kinds of destructive thoughts to fester. It is by no coincidence that when things upset us that all the negativity we have stored away concerning that person or things comes to mind like a volcano.
Obtaining, refining, and the willingness to godly knowledge is developed over time by daily spending sanctified time in the study, and in the ongoing application of the Word of God.
The Biblical defense against the Eph. 6:16 missiles (words/actions of others) is the shield of faith. In this instance, this shield of faith is accurate doctrine. Matt. 7: 24-27 preparedness is what limits the damage that the satanic attacks can cause, and increases our ability to recover from the wounds that we do receive.
Therefore, when processing the words and thoughts that enter our soul structure, we must develop the ability to identify the good or evil source and the good or evil objective that the sender has in mind.
It is not so much the words, but our response to them that determines the extent of the good or the harm they produce (Heb. 4: 2/Gen. 3/Matt. 7: 24-27).
As children, most of us have heard one version or another of an old adage telling us that sticks and stones can break our bones, but names can never hurt us. A quick research revealed that it was published in The Christian Recorder, a publication of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1862, but with a significant difference. In this publication, it apparently taught that words will never b-r-e-a-k (as opposed to hurt) me.
Names and words do hurt,, but rather or not they break us is a choice that WE make.
Among other things, Jesus was spoken of as having lost His mind (Mark 3: 21), being a drunk and a glutton (Matt. 11: 19), a performer of demonic activity (Mark 3: 22), having an unclean spirit (Mark 3: 30), being a blasphemer (Matt. 26: 65) hanging out with the wrong crowd (Matt. 11:19), a deceiver and an enemy of the state (Luke 23:2).
Like our Master, His true disciples are going to be slandered, maligned, persecuted, and hated. We have no control over what comes out of the mouths of other people, but we have complete control over how we will respond to the words they speak.
Nothing infuriates the devil or evil-minded people than to have thrown their best shot only to see their intense target get back up.
Advancing disciples will learn soon enough that the taming our own tongue, let alone the tongues of others, is beyond human ability (James 3: 8).
The point of control over what comes out of our own mouths is found in what thoughts we choose to make a part of our Mathew 7: 24-27 soul structure. When provoked, inspired, or otherwise motivated, whatever good or bad we have stored in our soul will come out of our mouths, impacting others.
"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart (Luke 6: 45 NASB)."
These words can heal or wound, edify or deceive, encourage or discourage, those we speak to or on whom we unload onto in a moment of unrestrained anger.
Note that the wounds that God sends or allows (Job 2: 10) can be just as painful as the ones that are self-induced, come from other people, or are the result of satanic attacks. Job did not smile when he lost his ten children, his wealth, or his health, but DID praise the Lord (), acknowledging the sovereignty of God. Job acknowledged that in the individual plan of God, God will send or allow both blessings and adversity in order to accomplish a divine objective.
Many Christians pray, "THY will be done (Matt.6: 10)," but what they really pray for is for MY will to be done. The wounds received when our expectations are not fulfilled can be of the type that do not heal if not treated properly. To make prayer requests in the name of Jesus (John 14:13) does not obligate God to do anything outside of His will . Praying in the name of Jesus acknowledges the free access to the throne of grace that the Lord Jesus Christ made possible.
Misidentifying the purpose and place for prayer is what sets the stage for disappointment when our prayer requests do not line up with the will of God. Wounds from what some perceive to be "unanswered" prayer can have serious consequences. It's not that prayers weren't answered. It's a matter of not receiving the answer we wanted. All prayer requests receive a yes, no, or not right now response.
I believe that the greatest examples of faith are NOT the believers who receive all of overt Blessings while here on Earth, but the ones who maintained their trust and confidence in God even though they did NOT receive all that they thought they had coming (Heb. 11: 39) to them.
This was the bone of contention between God and the devil in the case of Job. The devil insisted that if Job lost the blessings that he had received from God, that he (Job) would turn on God. The devil lost his argument in the case of Job, but has succeeded in removing many disciples from the battlefield after suffering the wounds of disappointment that did not heal.
True discipleship is a costly venture. Jesus taught His followers to count the cost of discipleship (Luke 14: 25-33). Dealing with wounds received along the road to spiritual maturity is a part of the cost of discipleship. Scripture (1Cor.15: 19) concedes that if what true Christianity brings to us here on Earth is all it has to offer, then Christians are to be pitied more than any other group!
Evangelical words that fail to tell the whole story (Matt. 13: 21) set the stage for wounds that won't heal when the Christian experience here on Earth does not turn out to be the peaches and cream they were led to expect.
Know that the devil will be there to offer (or to re-offer) a religious system of ceremonies and good works to secure the earthly and eternal blessings of God. Such systems look good and feel good, but will not produce the desired end result. That is why the devil promotes all of them in this war of words. Like many forms of cancer in the natural realm, such systems of Man-made religions can involve a pain-free wound here on earth , but a devastating end result (Matt. 7: 21-23).
With the enabling pre-salvation ministry of God the Holy Spirit (Heb. 3:15), the Gospel Message is relatively easy to accept. We are only asked to believe (John 3: .16, 18). It's benefits are immediate and forever secure. But true discipleship is a life long, uphill, conflict (Matt. 10: 34). If one is executing the post (after) salvation spiritual life of discipleship, his/her daily walk with God will be one of conflict (Matt. 10:34), but with a sense of confidence (John 8: 31, 32) and peace (Phil. 4:7) in the midst of spiritual warfare. The absence of any one of these characteristics is an indicator that a 2Cor. 13:5 self-examination is in order.
Many of the wounds we need to address are self-inflicte as a result of self-centernes and comparing our lot in life with others.
Scripture speaks of envying the prosperity of the wicked (Psalms 73). But for some, the prosperity of the godly can be just as challenging if one develops the "Where's mine?" (Matt. 19: 27) attitude, or compares his/her earthly prosperity with fellow believers.
God places (or changes) our socio-economic environment and location(s) in keeping with the individual plan that He has in mind for each one of us. In keeping with the plan of God, one can find him/herself homeless sharing a barrel-fire under a bridge; in the lap of luxury rubbing elbows with the rich and famous; or naked and penniless nailed to a cross!
Do many of us not often pray for His will to be done? Being (or being put) where He wants us to be at any given time or stage of life in order to do what He wants us to be doing IS a major part of being in the will (plan) of God. As the old saying goes, be careful what you ask (pray) for!
Wherever we are and whatever condition or circuit that we find ourselves, Christians are there to be a ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador is well versed on the policies of the kingdom he/she represents.
God desires that all men be presented with the Gospel Message, and that all believers be conformed, in thought and action, to His likeness. Carrying out these marching orders (Matt. 28: 19, 20) is what gives purpose and meaning to life no matter what else is going on around us.
God is not impressed by self-induced poverty. There is nothing wrong with enjoying legitimately obtained prosperity (3John 1:2). But keep in mind that any and all circumstances (Phil. 4: 12), advancing disciples are wherever they are for His glory and not for their own benefit (Luke 12:48).
The places that God has in mind may be bring riches or poverty, earthly success or loss, popularity or rejection, health or illness, fellowship or isolation. Paul composed some of the most edifying passages of New Testament Scripture from prison cells. Jesus accomplished His greatest deed nailed to the cross.
. . .
When we receive wounds of discipline for something we did wrong, most of us can come to accept it. It is when it is pain that is/was undeserved that our trust, confidence, and willingness to move forward in the plan of God will be put to the test.
These tests are not for God to see how well we are getting along in the plan of God. God already knows that. These tests are for US to see how well we are getting along with God's plan. How well WE handle (or fail to handle) the hurtful and offensive words and/actions of others IS one of DAILY tests that we can use to assess own progress. Scripture (James 1:26) teach that if one cannot control his own tongue, that man's religion is useless!
Misidentifying the source and the motive for sending (or allowing) the pain and suffering that we receive can blind us to the objective that the source has in mind.
Was the pain self-induced? Was the pain sent (or allowed) by God? Was the pain sent by the devil or his forces of evil? Was the pain sent by other people? Was the pain to edify, discipline, or to re-direct the course of our lives? Was the pain sent to hurt or to destroy us?
In the natural realm, diabetics are well aware that even the smallest wound can lead to serious complications.
Know that In the spiritual realm, when wounds of the soul are not addressed, the devil (1Peter 5: 8) and/or his Eph. 6: 12 forces of evil will be right there to exploit the situation.
The forces of evil will raise the age old-questions of where was God, or what type of God would allow such and such a thing to happen.
In the midst of our disappointments, the devil will point to the prosperity of wicked in order to throw salt into our open wound in an attempt to destroy the intimacy (if it existed) in our individual walk with the Lord, and our willingness to move forward in the plan of God.
There are Biblical answers (Psalms 73/Job 2:10) to these age-old questions, but one must make these principles a part of his/her edified soul structure (Matt.7: 24-27) before the storms of life hit. When the inevitable storms do hit, one must be willing to apply the principles if the devil is to be denied the (Eph. 4: 27 NASB) opportunity to exploit the situation.
Both God and the devil will make use of pain and suffering. The difference is that God will send or allow pain and suffering for our ultimate good (Romans 8: 28/Job 2:10), whereas the devil will use pain and suffering for our ultimate destruction.
The forces of evil will use pain and suffering to drive a wedge between Gospel Message and an unsaved soul. The forces of evil will use pain and suffering to drive a wedge between a born again believer and the desire to develop and apply an edified soul structure.
Advancing disciples will learn soon enough that there IS going to be a degree of both deserved (Heb. 12: 6) and undeserved (Phil. 1: 29) suffering associated with the post (after) salvation spiritual life of discipleship. Many Sunday-morning Christians do not experience much adversity associated with discipleship because they pose no threat to the devil's agenda. Some unwittingly, actually promote the devil's agenda.
It does not say too much for the quality of one's post (after) salvation spiritual life when the forces of evil determine one is not worth the bullet, or worse, chooses to encourage the type of "Christianity" that one promoted.
Suffering associated with divine discipline is never pleasant, but comes from a loving Father (Heb. 12: 6).
As we spiritually mature, we will stop blaming other people and other things for the pain and suffering that we bring upon ourselves as a result of the negative choices that we make. As we spiritually mature, we will become aware of how our negative words have hurt others, and the need for our own confession and forgiveness (1John 1: 9/Matt. 6: 12). This will instill in us a desire to develop the willingness to forgive others for the painful words they speak.
Living with an unforgiving spirit damages our own walk with the Lord (Matt. 6:15).
Our Lord set the example by enduring undeserved suffering on the cross for the benefit of others. He did nothing to deserve the suffering that the plan of God required of Him.
“He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastising for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed (Isa 53:5 NASB).”
As horrific as His physical suffering was, His greatest suffering was the spiritual death (separation from God) that He, in His humanity suffered on the cross. He suffered the separation from God on the cross that we deserved, and would have otherwise experienced in Hell for all of eternity.
Recognizing the source and treating the wounds received along the road to spiritual maturity plays a critical part in being one able to say, "...the time of my departure (physical death) has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith (2Tim. 4: 7 NASB/parentheses mine)."
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Another reason that God sends or allows suffering to take place along the way is to prepare us to minister to others. There are times when it takes one who has "been there" to lead others out of the darkness that they find themselves and into the light.
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Then there are the faithful wounds from friends (Prob. 27: 6). These wounds can be very painful to receive, come unexpectedly, and cut deep down to bone exposing a painful truth. Such friends risk the relationship in order to carry a message that God wants delivered. But as the old saying goes, a friend in need is a friend indeed.
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy (Prov. 27: 6 NASB)."
In closing, keep in mind we have all have been wounded, and have wounded others. There will be more wounds to come along the road to spiritual maturity. By identifying the source and the objective in mind, we can choose to use the experience to advance in the spiritual life, or we can allow the wounds that do not heal to impede, or even destroy the quality of our post salvation spiritual life here on Earth, and in doing so, diminish the quality (1Cor. 3: 15) of our experience in eternity.