Playing While Hurt
I recently visited a friend at his place of business, and we got into a discussion about his newly married son who is having a difficult time in finding a job in this tough economy. My friend confided in me with the advice that he was giving his son, and this lead into his wonderful testimony about how the Lord used a similar trial in his life years ago to teach him about true faith. The son is asking the same questions that we all encounter in our life at some point: Why would God be allowing this difficult period?
Several years ago I played football on my high school team. I was a pretty tough football player who didn’t mind the hard knocks that I received on the field. I actually enjoyed giving a hard tackle to one of my opponents. But as tough as I was with getting the hard knocks that football entails, I was a wimp when it came to playing while hurt. I can remember getting a pretty bad knee scrape from the hard turf in a game, and the problems that I had in trying to heal that friction-burn. During every new game, I would try to tape a pad around my knee to protect the new scab that had formed during the week. Sure enough though, during the first tackle in the next game, I would knock that scab right off.
My small injury actually got to the point that I played very gingerly in the beginning of some games, because I was more concerned with my knee than I was with my assignments of the game. All of my attention became fixed on my hurt instead of what I should be doing for the team. I was a team leader, and my team looked for my leadership. The hurt got to the point where I didn’t want to play in an upcoming game due to my injury, but I knew that this was not an option. My team needed me. I finally stopped worrying with my knee. I learned how to stay focused on my previous training instead of my current felt need. I learned how to play while hurt.
Unfortunately, life is full of hurts. We must learn how to play while hurt. This is especially true in our Christian walk. Jesus teaches about this in the parable of the seed sower found in Luke chapter 8. Jesus says about the seed: “Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture” (Luke 8:6 NIV). He explains the meaning of this in verse 13, “Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing, they fall away.” It is interesting to me that Jesus says, “the time of testing.” Could this possibly mean that we encounter testing here on earth? If this were true, why would He allow us to endure a difficult test in our lives? Wouldn’t a loving God always provide us with the easy way of life full of His blessings?
The Apostle James, the half brother of Jesus, gives us the answer to these questions: James says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2 NIV). Perhaps the Bible translation of this same verse found in the Message would help: “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves” (James 1:2-6 The Message).
I would add to your encouragement; learn to play while hurt. Playing in the game (of life) is easy when things are going your way (you’re winning), and you are not hurt. But in this life you will have many “test and challenges” coming at you. When tested, a common reaction will be your thought: “Why would God allow this?” I can assure you that He doesn’t cause all the difficult things that we face, but the Scripture above gives us hope that there can be benefit for our struggle. Just like a hurt athlete playing through the pain on the assignment of his training, you too should stay on assignment and not waiver on your faith. Our responsibility is to be faithful in all of our battles.
There is a confirming Bible story of this point found in the Book of Joshua. In this story, God has promised the people of Israel the Promised Land of “milk and honey” that was a free gift of grace to the people. One may think, if God desired to give this land freely to His people, He would just allow them to easily walk in and set up their occupation. But that is far from the truth of what happened. The truth is God waited for forty years to weed out the people of wavering faith. The folks who didn’t benefit from the ordained destiny of His grace were the ones who lost faith each time a new trial came their way. He knew that there would be battles ahead; therefore, He wanted only the people who would remain on assignment even when they were hurt. He wanted people who would remain faithful in all of the battles (time of testing).
Read the Book of Joshua. The people had to fight for every inch of their God ordained destiny. Could this possibly teach us about finding our God ordained destiny? It would be easy for us to think that if God has called us to an assignment, and we continue to run into resistance, (trials and setbacks/battles), that it must not be His will. But perhaps this is a sure sign that we are headed in the right direction. We do have an enemy! Maybe, if we do not have to face any battles that cause us to seek His help and guidance, we are not crossing into our promised land (our best destiny). I remind you in the story of Joshua that there were a group of Israelites who decided to “settle” on the land outside of the Promised Land.
If you are facing a trial now (hurt), I encourage you not to settle. The enemy will whisper in your mind thoughts like, “You’re not good enough,” or “This battle is too big for you.” I remind you that the Apostle Paul tells us to, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes” (Ephesians 6:11 NIV). One of the devil’s “schemes” is to make the trial seem larger than you can handle. The generation of the Israelites who didn’t make it into the Promised Land was kept out by their lack of faith when some of their spies came back and reported, “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them” (Numbers 13:33). They reported that the enemy was larger than they could defeat. The problem with this report is: God didn’t fit into their report or plan. Your trial may seem much larger than you can handle. (It probably is.) But do you know Who can handle it? Learning to play hurt is valuable.
In Joshua chapter 1, the story picks up where the Book of Deuteronomy leaves off. Moses has been leading the people of Israel for forty years toward the Promised Land, and now he is dead. Joshua has been a faithful servant to Moses for all of the previous forty years, and now he is hurt at the loss of Moses. There is no doubt in my mind that the enemy was whispering in Joshua’s ear the same scheme that I mentioned earlier. You ask, “Why do you say you have no doubt?” Because in the first nine verses in Joshua God says to Joshua THREE times, “Be strong and courageous.” He even tells Joshua, “Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged” (Joshua 1:9). Would the Lord need to say that if there was no fear of the future in Joshua’s mind? (No!) God knows that Joshua is hurt, but He encourages him to play on (by faith) even through the hurt. Then the Lord tells him the secret of becoming prosperous and successful in finding his God ordained destiny, even though being hurt. Would you like to know this secret? Would you like to know what you should do when you are under a trial that seems to be larger than you can handle? God says, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:8-9).
I like that idea, “the Lord my God will be with me wherever I go.” But what must I do? I should read the Bible, think about what the Scripture says each day and night, and do what it says! I can tell you from personal experience that playing while hurt is not easy to do. I didn’t like to play football when I was hurt, and I don’t like to play in this game called “life” when I am hurt. It’s very hard even for me. I, too, get hurt, depressed, fearful, and discouraged at times. (We all do.) During these times the enemy would love for us to settle where we are, and just stay on that side of the river in our hurt. In this place we are no threat to face any battle toward our God ordained best plan of destiny. But that’s not where I want you to settle, that’s not where He wants you to settle, and that’s especially not where your family wants you to settle. Just like I had a leadership role for my football team, you have a leadership role in serving your family. My team was actually encouraged when they witnessed me playing while I was hurt. This encouraged them to later do the same thing when they became hurt. Your family is watching you when you get hurt. Be sure not to be one of the people that Jesus speaks about falling away when the time of testing comes. This “testing” is an open Book test. Keep the faith, stay in the Word, ask the Lord to help you, and keep playing through the hurt. Before you know it, the hurt will be healed, and you will be at the top of your game again. Be strong and courageous!
Robby
