Pushing Pain Aside Doesn’t Make You More ‘Holy’

This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:21-3:23 (NKJV)

Key points:

I’m writing this at the end of a really difficult week.

Nothing earth-shattering or life-altering, but not trivial difficulties either.

I’ve had some big disappointments on top of a week stuck inside with the whole family sick.

Our poor three-year-old has watched an unholy amount of television.

I have hope because Jesus promised us that a better reality is ‘at hand’. Because of this, I fall into the trap of thinking hope means pushing aside my pain.

Nevertheless, with the task of this devotion on my mind, I’ve been thinking a lot about hope.

As a Christian, I have hope because Jesus promised us that a new, better reality is ‘at hand’ – that God is in the process of making all things new in His kingdom.

Yet because of this, I can sometimes fall into the trap of thinking hope means pushing aside my fears, doubts, and disappointments.

Every day, God’s compassion gives us a new opportunity to look up and trust in His faithfulness.

Pushing them ‘under the rug’, so to speak.

The verse in Lamentations says we can have hope firstly because we’re not consumed.

It doesn’t say we don’t experience adversity, it’s just that the love of God means it doesn’t master us.

It goes on to remind us that His compassions never fail – they are new every morning.

This is the bit that hits home for me.

Listen to this episode of Real Hope in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts.

Every day, God’s compassion gives us a new opportunity to look up and trust in His faithfulness.

So for me, hope in my difficult week has not meant minimizing my hardship.

Hope has meant acknowledging the heartbreak, embracing its accompanying emotions, and then stepping into the next day confident that God is really good at turning brokenness into beauty.

Listen to this episode of Real Hope | The Podcast in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe to the YouVersion plan or listen to Real Hope | The Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Feature image: Photo by CanvaPro

Devotion written by Chris Gresham-Britt (originally published as ‘Great is Your Faithfulness’ on 23 January 2024).

Feature image: CanvaPro