Maneuvers - No. 32
For Your
Aching Heart
There’s a lot of pain in this world of ours, isn’t there, friend?
Poverty. Abuse. Death. Disease. Starvation. Violence. Broken relationships. You don’t have to look far to find someone who’s hurting.
And yet this is the world Jesus loves. The world he calls us to love—not with a love we can drum up from within ourselves. Rather, he equips us with a deep compassion that comes from the heart of our heavenly Father.
But how do we give and love and pour ourselves out to others without getting hurt?
The answer is… we can’t. Not really.
When we commit to loving like Jesus, there will inevitably be moments that break our hearts, moments when we’re betrayed, when we fail to meet a need, when the suffering lingers, when we fall into temptation.
Have you ever experienced that kind of pain, dear friend? We definitely have.
But here’s an incredible truth—that pain doesn’t have to control us. It doesn’t have to shut us down, numb our emotions, or break our will. It can actually make us stronger. And today, Holy Spirit is showing us how.
If you desire to love like Jesus but are tired of the pain and are struggling to find your footing, this week’s message is specifically for you.
So right now, we invite you to rest here with us as we lean in to hear Holy Spirit speak…
01.
The Message
“I see you, your feet free to walk. Each step is purposeful. And you don’t worry where each step takes you. You know where you are going, trusting in what you can’t see.
“You are on the hillside, the wind blowing against your face, your back, and it refreshes you. You are not tired. You are not worried. You are strong and confident and not held down by the worries of this current world.
“It is not that you are unaware of the aches and heartache all around you. After all, you are in this world that brings suffering and struggle, challenge and pain. But your attention focuses on another place, another reality, another hope, another existence available to you right now. And this focus is what makes you both motivated to care for the hurting—and protected from being overwhelmed by the needs of the hurting, too.
“You are a child deeply loved, and this love shields you. While you still struggle with temptation, you keep your heart focused on what is safe and good and true. You know that nothing can take away what you have been given; nothing can claim the inheritance that is yours and is not of this world.
“And you captivate me. You stay with me. We go together, and this enables you to walk the hard roads of this world with strength. You are able to bend low—my hands your hands, my eyes your eyes, my heart your heart—and touch the people who are hurting—with encouragement and time and wisdom.
“Will you continue doing this with me today? Will you trust me to love you? Will you trust me to give you what you need? Will you trust me to protect your heart as you surrender it to me? Will you trust me to guide you and inspire you to go forth, in my name, and love and love and love?
“Keep going. I see you. Stay—and go—with me.”
02.
Listen
Let’s pause a moment and allow Holy Spirit’s words to settle in our hearts. If it helps, we can re-read the sections of this week’s message that impacted us the most. Then, let’s write down our response to Holy Spirit in our journals.
03.
Think
“Set your sights on the rich treasures and joys of heaven where [Christ] sits beside God in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here” (Colossians 3:1b-2, TLB).
1. What’s breaking your heart right now? What are your biggest struggles?
2. How do those struggles make it difficult to love others? How does the pain affect your ability to give and serve?
3. How can fixing your eyes on Jesus shift your perspective of those struggles and pain points? How could focusing on him, his love for you, and your eternal inheritance with him affect your response to that pain?
04.
Trust
Our lives on this earth are important, packed with meaning. They are so precious to our heavenly Father.
And yet compared to eternity, they’re very short. The truth is that there is so much more for us beyond this life—unimaginably great things. As the apostle Paul tells us, the glory we’re going to experience with Jesus throughout eternity will be far greater than any pain or suffering we experience here on earth (see Romans 8:18).
Could that be why having an eternal mindset—and abiding in Jesus’ love for us—is crucial to dealing with life’s struggles? Let’s return to Holy Spirit’s words this week:
“You are a child deeply loved, and this love shields you. While you still struggle with temptation, you keep your heart focused on what is safe and good and true. You know that nothing can take away what you have been given; nothing can claim the inheritance that is yours and is not of this world.”
One day, we will stand before Jesus and hear these words: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21, ESV).
Will you imagine that moment with us? As we close our eyes and take a deep breath, let’s invite Holy Spirit to lead our imagination. Let’s picture that heavenly moment, when we’re standing before Jesus.
Are you there? Can you imagine Jesus sitting on his throne, his kingly robe flowing down his sides, his eyes blazing with glory, his face filled with pride and admiration—and total delight in you.
Then he speaks. He calls you closer. He wants to have a private conversation with you, just you. He wants to tell you why he’s so proud of you.
Friend, what is he saying to you? And what specific moments in your life is he bringing up? Perhaps times when you pressed into him despite the pain, when you loved others even though it hurt, when you cried out desperately to him in the middle of temptation, when you humbled yourself before him after a failure?
If we don’t know yet what he would say, that’s okay. Holy Spirit will show us over time as he reveals to us more of Jesus’ love. Whatever he does show us today, though, let’s write it down.
And once we’re ready, let’s respond to those words in prayer.
05.
Pray
Jesus, you are my king and my best friend. I’m amazed at how you love me and the glory you’ve stored up for me. I can’t wait to enjoy that glory with you forever. Will you draw me closer? Will you let me experience even more of the firstfruits of that inheritance right now?
Whenever I’m in pain, help me fix my eyes on you and your love. Help me choose to trust you to give me exactly what I need, to trust that you will protect my heart as I surrender to you.
Today, I trust you to guide me, to inspire me, to show me how to love and give and serve in a healthy way. Lead me, Jesus. You’re the only one who can. I love you.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Waving the banner with you,
