Have you ever felt pain that was too much to bear? Maybe you have had to walk through pain because your parents decided to get divorced. Has somebody in your family died tragically and suddenly, leaving you with endless tears? Or maybe you made a decision to drink too much the night before, leading to negative consequences you had to deal with the next day or even years later.

There are times in life when we enter into a season of pain. Sometimes we may bring it upon ourselves, other times pain sneaks up behind us without any warning signals, without our choosing. Think back to a time when this was true? Is this true now?

Can I be vulnerable for a moment? In this season of my life I have learned what it means to walk through pain instead of hide from it. I was set free from an anxiety disorder called OCD a couple years ago. I realized it was a healing that made me face my pain, not avoid it through the OCD rituals. Instead of running from my pain like I did for so many years, I was finally able to face my anxiety.

So there are times when I am in a social setting and will feel anxiety creep up. In those moments I choose not to run but breathe and rejoice. I choose to walk in joy and thankfulness instead of anxiety and fear. But believe me, it is not always easy. In fact, it is usually an intense battle internally. But then I make it through the pain and can be proud of myself for facing another giant. If we do not face our pain, we will be left in a continual cycle of defeat and frustration.

What is the pain you are facing today? What is one way that you can successfully walk through your pain, instead of hiding?

We would love to hear if this was encouraging for you in our comments below!