Some of the clients I get to opportunity to work with are going through very hard times in their lives.  They are dealing with a divorce or custody battle, they owe the IRS a lot of money, they are threatened with losing their business or family.  And while they are going through the pain, it seems like no one else can understand what they are going through and what they are dealing with.  I do my best to empathize with my clients.  I try to put myself in their shoes, but if you aren’t going through the pain yourself, you cannot experience the sensation that they are feeling and your advice sometimes sounds hollow and impossible to do.

I also have my own struggles and pain.  While, thankfully, it does not involve the IRS or the family court, it is important to me and painful.  I discuss it with people and feel like they just don’t understand me.

I came across a scripture this morning in Hebrews 4: 15-16 that sure helps me.  We hear how Jesus was perfect.  He lived a sinless life.  He worked miracles and his father is God Almighty - the creator of the universe.  Not to mention the fact that he lived and walked on the earth over 2000 years ago - before we have all of the stresses of life that we have today.  How in the world could he understand what we are dealing with.  How could he feel our pain?  The scripture says this:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

I’m so glad that we have a place to go and someone to talk to who will understand our needs and our pain just as though he lived through it himself.  We can take comfort that we can share our deepest desires and our most painful thoughts and fears with Him when we come to the foot of His throne.