Grateful for the Pain – by Lynn Gipson
The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. —Psalms 34:18 (KJV)
Pain from the past can sometimes cause our faith to falter. Some days it pains me to remember the sins I committed, and I think God could not possibly forgive me. Those are the times faith grows dim for me, and I start to listen to the lies of the devil.
It is with pain that we learn to grow, and through pain our faith should grow, instead of allowing our faith to falter when the past comes back to haunt us. Jesus paid for our sins of the past, and He did so while He was in a great amount of pain.
Now it occurs to me that it was my past life that led me to the Lord, so in that sense, I should be grateful for the pain of the past. As regretful as I am for the wrongs I committed against God, myself, and others, the pain of these actions caused me to surrender my life to Him.
I remind myself that all have sinned, and all that sin will be given forgiveness if only they ask with true remorse. The next time the past causes me pain, I will embrace it and thank God for it, for it was through my pain that I was delivered to Jesus Christ.
Dear Lord, Thank you for the pain of my past, and thank you for your forgiveness.
Lynn Gipson is a Freelance Christian writer and an active member of FaithWriters. Contact | 
