READ: JOHN 15:1-8

A friend of mine trained as a physical therapist. So when my shoulders are tense and give me headaches, I’ll go sit on her living room floor in front of her couch while she massages my shoulders. And it HURTS. She feels my neck and back to locate the places that are tense or out of whack. Then she bears down, patiently coaxing the muscle back to its proper state, sometimes bending my arms in uncomfortable directions, all while compassionately saying, “I know, I’m sorry it hurts,” as I cringe and wince. But my friend loves me, and I can trust her. If I tense up and fight the good work she’s doing, she gently reminds me to take a deep breath and relax. All that discomfort is worth it, because afterwards my shoulders and neck can move freely without pain.

It reminds me of my spiritual life. Sometimes a habitual sin, a persistent lie, or a broken situation will hurt my heart. I’ll try to work around the pain, accommodating it or distracting myself from it as it grows and grows until I finally bring my pain to Jesus to work through it.

Often, the process of dealing with that spiritual pain is uncomfortable. I feel like I’m sitting on my friend’s living room floor while Jesus shows me the areas of my heart that are tense or out of whack. Then He bears down on the problem, patiently coaxing my heart back to its proper state, sometimes bending it in uncomfortable directions, all while compassionately saying, “I know, I’m sorry it hurts,” as I cringe and wince. But Jesus loves me, and I can trust Him. When I tense up and try to fight the good work He’s doing, He gently reminds me to relax. I know it’s worth the discomfort if it means I get to walk in freedom, knowing His love more deeply and showing His love to others more readily.

It often hurts when Jesus addresses things in our hearts we’ve been trying to avoid. Sometimes we’d rather just try to get by, pretending the achy pain in our heart isn’t there. But Jesus wants something more for us. He wants us to work through the pain, even though it can be intense, so that we can be free from the aches and mobility limitations of a muscle that’s too tight. While we’ll never be fully healed in this lifetime, He invites us to come sit on the living room floor and receive His healing—daily, hourly depending on His work to set us free. • Taylor Eising

• Have you ever felt like God was working out something uncomfortable in you? He uses many things— interacting with the Holy Spirit in prayer, reading His Word, and being with His people. Consider spending some time asking God to show you any areas He wants to bring healing to.

LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. Psalm 30:2 (NIV)