What Would You do to Have a Body Free of Pain?

​1 Chronicles 4:10 – Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free of pain.” And God granted his request.

It’s two o’clock in the morning and you still haven’t fallen asleep. No matter which position you move into, it still hurts.
 
Your back throbs.
Your head aches.
Your legs move on their own.
Your arm has fallen asleep.
Your mind can’t find stillness.
 
And so, another night of no sleep falls upon you. You’ve tried so many ways, so many doctors, so many medications, so many surgeries, all of which have failed to release you from your prison of pain.
 
If only you could have a body free of pain.
 
Your back would stop throbbing.
Your head would stop aching.
Your arm wouldn’t fall asleep.
You mind would find peace and stillness.
 
But this is the body you’ve been given. You live in it and only in this body. But can you still have a new body when you live inside the old? Yes, you can.
 

1. When the pain becomes more than you can bear call a friend and let them know you really need a visit from them. While you’re visiting your mind will be on something else other than the pain. And, perhaps your friend is also in pain, whether it be physical or emotional and they need you as much as you need them.
2. When the pain becomes more than you can bear you can also turn on some quiet music or the sound of rain from a noise machine. Breathe deeply in and out of your mouth as your body begins to relax and you no longer think of your life as just being in pain.
3. When the pain becomes more than you can bear you can slip on your shoes and take a walk. It may hurt to walk, but there’s just something about being outside and feeling the sun on your face and the wind blowing gently on your hair. With each step think of something you are thankful for. By the time you are finished with your walk, you will have a suitcase full of thanksgiving and the vision in your mind of being outdoors.

 
No matter how you cut it, there may be nothing you can give to have a body free of pain but you can try to find moments free of pain.
 
Let’s take a look at what an article on webmd.com, “11 Tips for Living With Chronic Pain,” for some ideas. I’ve already mentioned deep breathing techniques and how this one act can reduce your pain and the stress you have. Reducing stress is another of webmd.com’s advice. And keeping negative feelings away from your mind. Another one I mentioned above is to take a walk. Exercise can boost chronic pain relief with the natural endorphins from exercise. A unique idea is to keep a log or journal of your daily pain score from 1 to 10. At the end of the day note what activities you did and what your pain level was for each. This will provide you with a way to track what is working for you and what isn’t. This idea also works well for me: Find ways to distract yourself from pain so you enjoy life more. Imagine that your pain can be put on a shelf in your mind. The pain is still there but it is no longer your sole focus. Read the complete article to find more suggestions on living with pain.
 
Take a look at the Bible verse above. Jabez asked God to let his hand be with him and keep him from harm so that he would be free of pain and God granted his request. Did you catch that last part? God granted his request. God can use many ways to help us live in this body of pain. We don’t have to wish that we had another body. We just need to believe that by relying on God we can be free of the pain. If not in the body, then in our mind. Remember to keep your focus on God and he will free up the energy that is tied in knots around you so that you can undo the knots and find some peace and rest.

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