Calling out to God as a good God begins to offer hope to our soul (1 Peter 5:10). In our humanity, we are bound to believe the worst about God in our pain. Yet once we admit the pain and give God a chance at being good, we have changed the trajectory of our pain. We are no longer bent over in focus on our consuming pain. Our attention is now on a good God who is above and over all pain.

God really does have control over all things, including our pain (Psalm 34:19). When God is able to bring his goodness into our hearts, He can relieve that pain over time. Pain relief begins with believing God is good. Pain relief continues as we more fully receive the goodness of God into our innermost parts. We can even let our entire soul become captivated by God’s good presence. The goon has now become the most beautiful part of our lives!

Being consumed by God’s goodness is a lifelong journey. It is one of the most important parts of Christian sanctification. Without this captivation, we are at risk of losing our hope and our light. Fascination with God’s goodness can keep our hearts safe in God’s presence as we engage within a very lost world (Psalm 34:8, 84:11).

The tensions within our world today are on the increase and weigh heavy on our souls. The world pictures God as a bully, terrorizer, and thug as well as an oppressive, angry and spiteful force. The world postures God against people and against what is best.

The Christian soul recognizes this as a spiritual battle and not about people against people (Ephesians 6:12). Each of us must fight the internal battle of our heart in recognizing God is good (Galatians 5:17). God is aware of our pain and working on behalf of goodness in this world (Romans 8:28). The battle begins in our heart as we fight to believe in His goodness. We take this battle into our relationships with others as we trust His goodness in our circumstances. People around us can feel the goodness of God come through our souls as we engage (Matthew 5:14-16). This reflection of God’s goodness is being the light in this world. Let our light shine in this dark world. Let God’s goodness consume our hearts.

Question for discussion: Can you relate to this internal battle? If so, how? Is God your Great Pain Reliever?

Contact information for speaking, training, consulting, coaching and writing:

Dr. Jeanine Parolini, PhD, MBA, MA

Phone: 651-295-6044
Email: jparolini@gmail.com
Website: www.JeanineParolini.com
Social Media: linkedin.com/in/jeanineparolini or facebook.com/jeanine.parolini