When life hurts us, there's a temptation to make a pact with the devil to survive it. This play for power over the pain in our lives is deadly and devastating.

Life events make up my story—the good, the bad & the ugly. Life can be painful, we were never promised a pain-free existence but avoidance of pain makes more.

When we become triggered with shame, as we will, we are often emotionally capsized. Being triggered makes us look for a lifesaver. Too often this lifesaver is to revert to old patterns and habits.

In the reality of brokenness, I can live in His grace and compassion for my fellow man because we all are sojourners in a broken land.

When I am in pain I can become offended. It's easy to be offended and not actually do the work to discover the Lord in and through the pain. 

How do you view problems in your life? Our world is fallen and our dealing with problems is the great equalizer of us all.

God doesn’t put a premium on painless living. If this is one of my highest values, then I will be in direct opposition to Him.

There's a difference between pain and suffering for someone who’s born again. Suffering is usually the result of my resistance, while pain is a mark of change.

The Lord intends us to gain a living benefit from those things in our life that have wounded us. It comes down to being a victim or a victor.

Does pain mean I'm resisting God? Pain is inevitable. If I’m living life, I'll experience pain. Pain is not the enemy, while suffering is very different.

Hopelessness is insupportable within the Life of Christ, and it’s a quagmire from which we need to be rescued.

If God allowed pain in my life, then how am I to trust Him now? God is moved by our pains but He is unmoved by our demands to be God over them.