He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering. —Isaiah 53:3
How do we handle the hurts of broken relationships? What do we do when a friend tramples over our tender places? What do we do when we are the tramplers?
I’ve been helped by remembering that relational wounds are an enviable invitation into deeper places with Christ. I get to feel what He felt, to suffer as He suffered, to know Him better.
We don’t revel in our suffering. Rather we “rejoice as [we] share in the sufferings of Christ, so that [we] may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed” (1 Pet. 4:13). It’s the sharing with Christ that brings us great joy. He is the fulfillment of our hearts’ desires, our greatest good, and better than all our relationships combined.
Not only do I know Christ better through being wounded, but I also know Him better when I’m humbled over my own failings. I’ve learned to bask in the beauty of the good news of Christ’s forgiveness and to heap grace on others because so much grace has been heaped on me!
------------------
“When We Can’t Fix the Relationship: Hope for Hurting Hearts” (ReviveOurHearts.com/blog)
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
How does knowing that Christ suffered help you as you experience hurt in your relationships?