COLLEGE PARK, MD –
Last week, we discussed a particular type of person – peaceful warriors.
Peaceful warriors are rare in part because of the balance they achieve in a number of tricky aspects of life.
One of those is knowing the difference between being hurt and injured. This is a common idea in the world of sport, but it is relevant to the world of spirit as well.
Don’t be a hero
When one is injured, they need to stop and take the time and space to heal. There is no glory in doing oneself harm.
Depending on the injury, there will be certain people qualified to assist one in recovery. No one can heal alone. Accepting the assistance one needs is essential to improvement.
Injuries need treatment. Many of us are injured and are not getting the treatment we need to recover.
Not everything that hurts is an injury, though. It is critical to receive a proper diagnosis.
Working through it
Sometimes we’re hurt, but not injured.
Those are the times where we can grow. When we’re injured we are lucky to get back where we were. When we’re hurt, we can move forward.
If we hope to avoid pain entirely in our lives, we will never improve. It is precisely when we feel the burn and work through it that we grow. Never feeling pain is a sure way to atrophy.
Given the Prophetic wisdom teaching us that holding onto our faith towards the end is like holding on a burning coal, being open to feeling the burn seems like more than a fitness cliché.
It is important that we know when we’re hurt and when we’re injured.
If we’re injured, we need to stop and heal. However, if we’re simply feeling the pain of growth, that is precisely the time to push harder.
Feeling the delusion-searing burn of sticking to God-given principles against our lower judgement is the fitness regimen of the soul.
Working through it is the way to become a champion.
Playing through the pain,
Tarif