THE PROBLEM OF PAIN

I have been reading from the writings of C.S. Lewis on "The Problem of Pain." Kind of a downer of a subject but one that is a reality in all of our lives, and if you have not experienced it as yet hang on it is coming. The first thing we think of is physical pain, like the time I fell backward in the boat and landing on my left arm. That was a painful experience that stayed with me a long time and just moving my arm brought back the pain. But, physical pain is not the only pain that comes to us in life, even more crippling is emotional pain.

We seem to get along dealing with difficulty as long as we are in control but when we are out of control is when pain comes. When we have everything we need, we don't think much about the Lord and when our hands are full there is no room for the Lord. As Lewis points out, our relationship with the Lord is like a pilot with a parachute. It is good to have but we hope we don't ever need to use it.

Is the Lord the first thing on our list of "stuff" or just something we pack in case we need Him? If He is the first thing on our list then the other things will not be as important or as painful if they are lost.

"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness..."