I learned something powerful the other day. "You have been gifted..." Those were the word that I heard when I talked with someone earlier this week. It wasn't in the context of spiritual gifts, but in the context of pain. What do I mean? Have you even seen, understood, or even considered that your pain is a gift?
Many years ago I heard of a preacher that visited a foreign country on a preaching trip. On the trip he met a woman who brought her daughter to be prayed for by the preacher. The mother told the preacher that her daughter had a rare condition called congenital insensitivity to pain and anhydrous (CIPA). This condition plagues people with the inability to feel pain. It's actually very dangerous. This poor girl had to be constantly watched for fear that she would hurt herself and not even know it.
The preacher shared with the mother a prayer of healing and shared with her a thought, "Your daughter is gifted. She doesn't have to feel the pain caused by the many things that could hurt her..." What if the same can be said of the "stuff" we go through in life? What if what you're going through in this season of your life is not a curse but a gift?
In the Bible Peter makes a strange...yet profound statement when he said, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as thought some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." - 1 Peter 4:12, 13 KJV.
Those trials we face, allow us to be partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when Jesus' glory shall be revealed...you will finally understand the reason why we went through what we went through, but more importantly...you get a glimpse of God in your pain that you would not have gotten without it. Bad things do happen to good people. And while it's a hard pill to swallow, we can comfort ourselves knowing the following: "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, for the spirit of glory and of God restate upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified." 1 Peter 4:14. Did you catch it? Did you see it? The Spirit of Glory and of God rests upon you! God...is with you. Helping you. Holding you. Caring for you. Being there with you. So, whatever you are going through...know God is there!
So, until the next time, this is Pastor Tello reminding you that thoughts do change lives!
Pastor Howard Tello