Pain brings Healing?!? Can that be right?

So here's a thought, I've been thinking about lately... What if the path to healing in our lives always includes an element of pain? In other words, what if there is no healing without pain? The Bible says that, "By His stripes we are healed..." The verse is speaking of Jesus' stripes. The pain He had to endure, the blood He had to shed in order that we, fallen humanity, might be healed of our sinfulness.

His pain brought our Healing. And what if, in some way, there is pain involved in the healing work of God that is on going in our lives? The pain of working through shortcomings. The pain of dealing with past hurts. The pain of remembering uncomfortable events in our past. The pain of ill-spoken words. Pain.

I know it's true for me that any time God wants to take me to a new place of wholeness in Him, I always have to walk through a painful place. A place where God "breaks me down," so He can build me back up into more of His image. It's the breaking part that is painful. It's right... but painful none the less.

I am so thankful that God knows how much we can handle and doesn't ever leave us or forsake us. I'm thankful that He walks with us in the pain and lovingly leads us to "Paths of Righteousness for His name's sake," as Psalm 23 says.

I don't like the pain, but I do like the idea of living in a place of healing and wholeness like I never have before. So perhaps pain is a blessing from God! Kinda makes you think differently about praying, "God, Bless Me!" doesn't it???

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt