Articles
When You Are Hurting
The world in which we live gives us plenty of reasons to sorrow, grieve, and be pained. The faithful are ridiculed and abandoned, friends betray us, bodily pains and sickness afflict us, and death comes to take away those whom we love. For some, there are added, regular mental burdens that are carried unknown to any others, whether due to past abuses, stress, or physical and chemical imbalances, and there are some burdens that others will not — cannot — ever understand. At times, it seems we are on our own and life weighs heavily on us, crushes us, and overwhelms us with the mental and emotional stresses it can bring.
Some who feel these mental and emotional burdens look around and feel there is no hope for them. Alone and without someone to talk to, many try to escape their burdens with drugs or alcohol or, sadly suicide. In the United States, about 45,000 people per year commit suicide, with many likely resorting to that sad 'solution' because they see no reason to live any longer. Unfortunately for them, death does not solve any problems and eases no pain, but only adds to others' pain by having to try to figure out what they who are left behind could have done differently.
For some, chemical imbalances and past abuses are the cause for their overwhelming emotional burdens, and therapy and certain pharmaceuticals may help alleviate or overcome those unwanted feelings. The point is, there is no 'one solution' for all pains and afflictions — no more than there is 'one pill' for all physical ailments. What works for one may not work for another, and we do not speak with wisdom or compassion when we tell those who are hurting that they 'just need to get over it.'
A Cause We Won't Admit. While some of life's stresses are deeper problems than what we can deal with, I am afraid some of our society's mental health issues are due to the relatively-recent shift in perceptions of sin, shame, and guilt. I am not trained in psychology or psychiatry, but I am a lifelong observer and student of humanity and human behavior, and I have seen enough to know that where we are, and where we are headed, is not good for the mental health of this country, and certainly not good for the soul.
God put within every man and woman an innate knowledge of right and wrong, and when we work so hard to convince ourselves there is no such thing as 'sin' or 'wrong,' there will be negative consequences. Instead of trying to redefine sin or eliminate it altogether, and instead of trying to eliminate shame and guilt for the actions God calls sin, we should accept the reality of sin and the hurt and pain it actually causes, and deal with it in the manner God prescribed: seeking His forgiveness.
The psalmist felt the burden of his sin and the guilt it brought to him, and wrote, “When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer” (Psa. 32:23, 4). He knew what he had to do, though: “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psa. 32:5). He would tell us, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psa. 32:1). He would feel relieved only if and when he sought and received forgiveness. Far too many today continue to bear the burden of their sins because they have been told they have no need to feel guilty or seek forgiveness. If only…
Because we have rejected the concept of sin [and, as a result, its consequences], we are left with the mental confusion of feeling shame and guilt without a cause. It is no wonder so many cannot deal with life very well, when their minds recognize feelings of guilt, but society is telling them they did nothing wrong, and they should do whatever they feel is right.
Causes With A Solution. Many other mental and emotional burdens leave us simply feeling lonely or abandoned, feeling as if no one else knows what we are going through, feeling no one has ever gone through what we are going through, or that no one really cares about our trials or is willing to help us with our burdens.
Again, the psalmist speaks in terms we can understand: “O my God, my soul is cast down within me” (Psa. 42:6); or, “I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have enlarged” (Psa. 25:16, 17); or, “my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave” (Psa. 88:3); or, “my spirit was overwhelmed within me” (Psa. 142:3). Let us not forget the man who wrote some of these words was said by God to be “a man after My own heart” (Acts 13:22). Just because one is in favor with God doesn't mean troubles will never afflict us!
So, what was the solution for these troubles, afflictions, and distresses? Let us hear from the psalmist again: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God” (Psa. 42:11). He would say, “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You” (Psa. 25:1). He would say, “O Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You. Let my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry” (Psa. 88:1, 2). And he would say, “I cry out to the Lord with my voice; with my voice to the Lord I make my supplication. I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble” (Psa. 142:1, 2).
Did you notice the common solution to these many afflictions, troubles, and distresses? In each case, he brought his troubles to God in prayer, with confidence the Lord would hear and answer! As a faithful follower of God, He knew the Lord would hear, would care, and would act. Did he escape trials and troubles because he served the Lord? No!
The faithful disciple of Jesus Christ is not promised a life of ease and lack of trouble, strife, or distress, but the Lord has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). It is for this reason, Paul wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6, 7). We are not promised a life without trouble, but we do have a solution to the troubles!
Don't Forget Your Brethren. While God should be our first thought to take our troubles to Him, let us not forget we have been given some earthly helpers, too. Paul reminds us, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). And Paul reminds us that, as disciples, we should “comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all” (1 Thess. 5:14). We are also told, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (Jas. 5:16).
Are you hurting? If it is because of unforgiven sin, seek His forgiveness. Take your troubles to God in prayer. Take your troubles to your brother or sister in Christ. You are not alone. —— Steven Harper
