December | 2014 | Life Of Pursuit

There’s something to be said for pain. Some would say, “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” I’m not so sold on that. Don’t get me wrong I understand the sentiment.

In a few days I’m hoping to begin the process if getting relief from years worth of teeth issues. The past week and a half have been painful to say the least. If you’ve ever had pain due to teeth problems you know the excruciating pain of not being able to get comfortable due to the throbbing and sharp knife like stabs that seem to puncture deep into your gum line. What do my teeth issues have with this post? It’s simple really. No matter the pain that we endure whether physical, mental, relational, insert your pain here ___________, one thing is certain.

Pain keeps us from rest. Rest keeps us refreshed. Exhaustion keeps us from accomplishing our purpose.

We don’t rest from a days work/activities, we rest in preparation for the next day.

Two days of my thanksgiving break last week was spent in and out of the bed away from family trying to get comfortable. The pain was so unbearable it made me edgy. I thought if I could just go to sleep I could get some relief. It didn’t work. Since last week my sleep is often interrupted by being up for a few hours each night trying to find relief. The pain is too intense to even sleep. Sleep is Gods design for us to rest. If my pain is keeping me from sleep than my pain is keeping me from rest. We don’t rest from a days work/activities, we rest in preparation for the next day. If our pain is keeping us awake tonight then our pain is standing in the way of our refreshing for tomorrow.

It’s hard to function in a weary state. Rest is important because it offers refreshing.

My days the past few weeks have not been refreshed because I have not gotten rest. Honestly if you followed me step for step you would probably classify me as lazy. In truth the pain is making it difficult to perform even the simple tasks. It’s hard to function in a weary state. Rest is important because it offers refreshing. Refreshing only comes from rest. God designed rest, daily, weekly, and yearly, in order for refreshing.

We must come to a point where the pain gets so unbearable that we stop making excuses, stop trying to relieve the pain ourself, and we get the issue fixed.

If we aren’t accomplishing our designed purpose we aren’t living on purpose. We are just existing taking up space. That’s what I feel like I have been doing, simply taking up space the past few weeks. Maybe you feel the same. Maybe the pain of whatever you’re facing is has left you drained and dry. You aren’t refreshed. Maybe your just existing and not living on purpose. What’s the anecdote? We must come to a point where the pain gets so unbearable that we stop making excuses, stop trying to relieve the pain ourself, and we get the issue fixed. The truth is that we become comfortable in our pain and make excuses for permanent relief. However a point comes when we’ve masked the pain for so long that we go to extreme measures for relief. Instead of getting the right kind of help we take matters into our own hands and cause more damage.

Many times we settle on extreme measures of trying to fix our pain ourself instead of seeking out those who can help us and bring healing.

My pain has been so extreme I have literally looked up info and thought I can take my tooth out myself. I could save some money and the pain of the extraction would be no where near the constant pain I’m currently in. I’ve stopped that silly notion with the risks of what could happen and have settled on going to someone who is experienced and can provide permanent relief. How many times have we settled for extreme measures of trying to fix our pain ourself instead of seeking out those who can help us and bring healing? Here’s my point…

Pain will keep us from rest.

Rest will keep us refreshed.

Exhaustion will keep us from accomplishing our purpose.

Don’t simply settle to live with the pain. Doing so will affect not only you but also those around you.