“Pain is part of growth. It tells you where your boundaries are, what you’re comfortable with and very much not comfortable with. It lets you know when something inside you needs fixed.”

A great piece of wisdom from my amazing wife.

So Pain: what have you got to say to me?

As I’ve been studying lately (read: listening to sermons on my iPhone) I’ve noticed how often in the New Testament Jesus started a sentence with “I tell you the truth” (sometimes translated “verily” or “assuredly I say to you”). According to a quick Google search, he’s recorded using that phrase 78 times in the gospels, 30 times in Matthew alone.

I’d never before questioned why this was, assuming it was just the way they spoke back then, but as I began to think about it, I realised he was making a point. Continue reading →