The Ache That Won't Go Away #RTTBROS #NIGHTLIGHT #Christ #counseling #anguish

The Ache That Won't Go Away

(Inspired by Larry Crabb's insight on the soul's deep longings)

The Ache That Won't Go Away #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." — Matthew 26:38

You know, one of the most honest things I've ever heard a Christian counselor say stopped me right in my tracks. Larry Crabb, one of the contributors to the Soul Care Bible, wrote that "beneath the surface of everyone's life, especially the more mature, is an ache that will not go away." He said an aching soul is not evidence of neurosis or spiritual immaturity. It's evidence of realism.

I've sat with a lot of people over the years, in hospital rooms, living rooms, and church pews, and I can tell you that is one of the truest things I've ever read. So many people carry a quiet ache inside them and then feel guilty about it, like something is spiritually wrong with them because they can't just "praise it away."

Here's what I want you to hear tonight: even Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane, said, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." The Son of God sat with His disciples and let them see His anguish. He didn't perform spiritual cheerfulness for anyone. He was honest about the weight He was carrying.

What Larry Crabb helped a generation of Christians understand is that the deep ache we feel in our souls is actually a longing for God and for the wholeness He alone can give. It's not a sign of broken faith. It's often a sign of a soul that knows this world is not what it was meant to be, and that Something, Someone, better is yet to come.

I'm too soon old and too late smart, but one thing I've learned is that when you try to pretend the ache isn't there, it just goes underground and comes out sideways. But when you bring it honestly to God, something begins to shift. He can work with honest pain. He's less able to work with a performance.

The Psalms are full of this. David didn't write greeting card theology. He wrote things like "How long, O LORD? wilt thou forget me for ever?" (Psalm 13:1). And then, in the very same psalm, he lands on trust. That journey, from honest ache to renewed trust, is not a failure of faith. It's the walk of faith.

If you're carrying an ache tonight that just won't let you go, you are in good company. Bring it to the One who knows what it is to say, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful."

Let's pray: Father, we come to You with our honest aches tonight, not our polished performances. You already know what's underneath the surface. Meet us there, in that deep place, with Your presence and Your peace. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#Faith #MentalHealth #SoulCare #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #HopeInGod #RTTBROS #Nightlight

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