Jesus’ Love Is Brighter than Your Hurt, December 11
By Karen Tripp
And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:7 NKJV).
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19a NIV).
Imagine Mary and Joseph coming around the last turn before entering Bethlehem. Mary feels rotten. She says to Joseph, “Hey husband, with all these people in Bethlehem, do you think we’ll find a place to stay?” Joseph replies confidently, “No problem! Any innkeeper who sees I have a wife ready to give birth will give us a room. They know what they should do.” You probably already know, there was no room in the inn.
What happened to Mary and Joseph is a hurt upon a hurt. Things were already not going well, and then someone who should have cared, didn’t. When you are already facing struggles, the last thing you need is for the people you love to let you down. They may not realize that they are hurting you, but they are.
What if a month before you were diagnosed you made a list of people that you KNEW would be there for you through your cancer struggle? My guess is that some of them were there to support you, but others seemed to have slowly drifted away. When people you thought you could count on start to drift away from you, it’s easy to let them.
Yet, God designed us to go through life with others. Sometimes it may be better to allow a loved one to drift away. Some family and friends can be toxic, so pray for discernment to know who it might be best to keep from your inner circle. But cancer is a time you could grow closer to the important people in your life by helping them understand more of what you are going through. It’s through sharing that you grow closer—even sharing about your cancer.
We are given power for sharing when it’s hard through what God calls the ministry of reconciliation (see 2 Corinthians 5:18-19). It works like this:
· Through Christ’s death, God has reconciled with you by not counting your sins against you. Just as Christ died for all, He now offers reconciliation to all.
· So now, even if people hurt us, we are not supposed to be “counting sins against them.” Holding on to hurt is one way to continue to count their sins.
· To do this, keep praying to see “no one from a worldly point of view” and instead see them as Christ sees them—someone for whom He died.
Sometimes I can be really good at counting other people’s sins, especially when it’s a hurt upon a hurt. But the truth? Christ died on the cross for their sins that hurt you as surely as He died for your sins. Christ died for their insensitivity, their self-focus, and even their disregard for your needs. If Jesus did all that for them, stop and think about what He has done for you. Jesus’ love is brighter than the darkness of any hurt.
You will see that reconciliation is not just a gift for the person who hurt you. It is a GIANT gift from God specifically for you. Just start with consistent prayer and let God lead your heart.
Pray: Jesus, there would be no reconciliation without You. Only You can shine so much love on a hurt until it shrinks and disappears. Even when the world tells me I’ve been wronged, push my heart towards reconciliation of the relationship and restoration of my hurt heart. All of this is possible through You. In Your name I pray. Amen.
Your Turn: Think of one person who has drifted away from you whom you feel God may be telling you to reach out to. What might be a first step? Tell God the reasons you do not want to take this step and listen for His suggestions.
Karen Tripp, MS, LMFT, Cancer Caregiver
Karen is the Executive Director of Cancer Companions, the premiere national Christian cancer ministry (https://www.cancercompanion.org). Her roles have included authoring several Christian books including God is Bigger Than Your Cancer and working as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is a daughter of a colon cancer survivor. Karen uses her experience to teach how to step into another person’s struggle to help build their faith while strengthening your own.
Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.
To learn more about our ministry and the services we provide visit our website by clicking here.
