When It Hurts: A Family Devotional for Sadness, Grief, and Hard DaysSample

How we react when someone is hurt is important. Sometimes, how we respond to each other’s pain matters even more than the hurt itself. For example, how would you feel if I ignored you or laughed at you if you fell and hurt your arm?

Because we are a family, we see things and have greater access to each other’s lives and hearts that other people don’t have. We are specially positioned to care for each other. Our home and our words can act like a hospital to watch over and heal one another when we are hurt.

The Bible tells us that when one of us is hurting and sad, we all should feel some of that sadness and hurt (see Romans 12:15). We may not always know how to react or respond when we see each other in pain. There are physical things we can do to help each other: we can get ice when someone bumps their knee or get a drink or blanket if a family member is sick.

It can be harder to know what to do when someone is sad because their heart is hurt. One of the most important things we can do is ask what is wrong and then listen. We don’t have to fix the pain by saying the right thing (although if we are the one who did the hurting, we do need to apologize). Sometimes, we just need to listen with empathy.

Empathy means trying to understand how the other person is feeling. Even if something seems silly or not a big deal to us, it can be difficult for someone else. The hurt person may not be responding how we would, but it is still important to listen and show that you care. An easy thing to say to someone when you don’t know what to say is, “I’m sorry you are hurt.” You can also ask, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

We want our family to bring life to each other and to everyone who is with us. One way we can do this is by responding to one another’s pain and hurt, just like God does for us.

Family Discussion Questions (pick 2 or more)

• Can you give an example of how our response to someone’s pain could make it better or worse?
• How do you feel when someone is sad?
• Do you feel comfortable talking or listening to someone when they are sad?
• Share about a time when someone has or has not shown you empathy when you were hurt.