Biblical Answer

Love in the Face of Pain and Hurt

When love is put to the test in a world of hurt, it is essential to understand that true love, in the sense of self-sacrifice, is not natural to human beings in their fallen state. This means that its existence in anyone is evidence of new birth and a life transformed by God's power (1 John 4:7-12). When we love others, we are not merely indulging someone near at hand, but inherently involve justice as well. This means there will be a concern for the well-being of others, even if it requires sacrifice on our part.

The Biblical Way of Resolving Conflict

In the Bible, love is not just a feeling, but a choice that we make, even when it's difficult. When we choose to love others, we are demonstrating our faith in God's power and provision. We are not promised that loving others will always be easy or pain-free, but we are promised that our prayers play a vital part in keeping trouble from them (Psalm 34:17-20). When a painful thing does happen, we are to trust that God will take care of us, and that He will provide what we need (Matthew 6:25-34). This trust and faith in God's goodness and sovereignty is the foundation of our ability to love others in the face of pain and hurt.

The Power of Love to Transform

When we choose to love others, even in the midst of pain and hurt, it has the power to transform not only the person we are loving, but also ourselves. We become able to get beyond the hurts and forgive, even loving the person we are praying for (Matthew 5:44). This is a miraculous thing, and it happens because when we pray we enter into a deeper relationship with God, and He works in us to love others as He loves us. Our love makes a difference, not because it will necessarily fix the problem or make the pain go away, but because it demonstrates our faith in God's goodness and sovereignty, and it has the power to transform us and those around us.