“I got hurt at church!” That is what you hear from many who no longer go to church anymore. At one time they were actively serving the Lord but because someone did something to hurt or offend them, they have allowed Satan to render them ineffective for the Lord.
Understand that I am not trying to minimize the impact of what happened to you. Nor am I in any way saying that maybe the other person wasn’t in the wrong for what they did to you. But we must realize that Satan is looking for ANY way he can to defeat us as a believer and take away our effectiveness for Christ. That is why the Bible warns us to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet.5:8).
If you play in ANY sport long enough, you are going to get hurt. I have even seen cheerleaders get hurt! We must remember that hurt is a part of life, and especially the Christian life. So, the question is not: “Will you get hurt?” The question is: “Will you be mature enough to go on for God even when you are hurt?”
The difference between average athletes and All-Star athletes is not that the All-Stars avoid getting hurt. The difference is that the All-Stars PLAY HURT! They don’t quit because someone knocked them down.
The same goes for a mature believer. They do not let some hurt or offense stop them from the good fight of faith. Psalm 119:165 says, “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” The word “offend” there means a stumbling-block. A mature believer doesn’t let a hurt or offense become a stumbling-block to their progress for the Lord.
The best Christians in the Bible all got hurt. The Apostle Paul was stoned and left for dead! I would say that had to have hurt! He even said in Gal. 6:17, “for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” The word “marks” means “a scar of service.” Paul said, “I’ve been beat up on by others, but I choose to look at my scars as marks of my service for the King!”
Jesus got hurt! Do you think it didn’t hurt Him when He was crucified for you? He was hurt, but thank God He didn’t let it stop Him from dying to pay our sin debt!
Have you been hurt? Has someone done something to offend you? Maybe it was a family member, a church member, or even something the pastor said.
Don’t let Satan win the battle by allowing him to use something trivial to knock you out of the race. Ask God to give you the strength to let it go so you will not become bitter and can go on for Him! Your family is depending on you. Your children are depending on you. Unbelievers around you are depending on you. But most of all, JESUS is depending on you!