“Now that we know what we have- Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God- let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all- all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.”- Hebrews 4:14-16 (The Message)
In Chapter 1 of The Wall Around Your Heart, author Mary DeMuth reminds us that it is essential for us to begin to respond well after our pain. She asserts that asking ourselves “Who is Jesus?”- and being truthful in our answer- is the most important question we’ll ever ask. How we frame our answer determines the extent to which we allow Jesus into our pain, past or present.
Mary experienced a devastating childhood where God’s name was a swear word and her pleas to attend Sunday School ignored. Raped at the age of five, Mary believed she was a walking mistake who never should have been born. Then, at age fourteen, she learned about Jesus. Jesus changed everything about Mary because He embodied the opposite of her oppressors.
Mary offers these words of encouragement:
“Because of His amazing empathy, we no longer need to lose heart. He who asked us to ‘pray like this’ knew that we’d need this prayer. He knew we’d experience heartache. And He knew we would need a Savior who would ‘get’ us.”
Today’s question: To what extent have you allowed Jesus into the pain of your ministry downsizing or vocation loss? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the new Short Meditation, “God’s Way or the Highway”
