Write through the Pain

Someone once told me that one of the tricks of the enemy is making you feel like you’re the only one who has ever gone through a particular situation. This makes sense, because in times of war, prisoners are often tortured in isolation. That’s why it’s so important for us to share our stories with one another—even the ones that we find are difficult to put down on paper.

There may be times when we find ourselves in a situation that causes us to plead, “Why me, Lord?” Even the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:7 that he was inflicted with a stressful situation, a “thorn in my flesh.” I have been taught that this was more than just a physical inconvenience, that this “thorn” was causing Paul was causing Paul some emotional distress.

The first thing that Paul did was ask the Lord to remove the thorn. And while God is faithful to answer our prayers, in this instance, He told Paul in verse 9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So although Paul was allowed to continue to suffer this trial, he was not alone. He had the grace of God to help him get through.

The second part of verse 9 is also very revealing. The Lord says, “My power is made perfect in weakness.” This reminds me that through our trials and tribulations, it is the power of God that not only gets us through, but encourages others. When we emerge from our situation— not only are we spiritually stronger, but we come out with a testimony that glorifies the name of God and has the power to help others get through.

Your testimony is a powerful tool that God can use. That means that like Paul, when you’re faced with a thorn in your life, write about it. Put it on paper. Share it with others. Here we are, centuries later, but millions of Christians all over the world can read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 and relate to Paul’s testimony. How many people today can relate to yours?

I’m not going to let the enemy keep me from sharing my story!