Isaiah 53:5 “He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” The other night Elaine and I joined a Zoom call on leadership with Pastor Dave Gibbons. One of the most surprising takeaways from the evening was his discussion of pain. He said something to the effect of “In many eastern philosophies, there is a direct and specific understanding of pain’s place in our lives. But the western concept of leadership has traditionally come from a place that glorifies strength and sweeps pain under the rug.” P Dave then went on to recount a horrible childhood encounter and how that shaped who he is today. After the tale, I could feel the atmosphere shift, and my view of him as a leader only elevated. Thumbing through scripture today I felt God leading back to this thought about pain. Probably my most transformative experiences came about because I uncovered traumatic moments in my past. I’ve found that when I uncover these moments, it not only brings healing to me, but also to those around me. And if we look at scripture, the greatest restoration the world has ever known came about from a very public display of pain. Lord, thank you for showing us that victory comes through vulnerability. When I ignore the pain, it has power over me. But when I bring it into the light, I come into line with the truth that you have taken all my pain onto your shoulders. Help me to take spiritual risk today in uncovering those memories the enemy wants to use against me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Yorumlar