Some days are easier than others. At least in my experience.

I’m an optimist, so I don’t typically let one negative thing in my day roll into another, creating a snowball effect that causes me to label it as “a bad day.” I try to keep things in perspective – not ignoring negative moments, but also not letting them taint the bigger experiences.

But sometimes something just knocks the wind out of me, which is what happened recently. Someone I really care about said something to me that punched me in the gut. It was just a comment – just words – but I think most of us would agree that “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is a lie. Words hurt, especially when they’re perceived to be negative and judgmental.

My soul cried. For hours.

The next day I had some drive time by myself. I was emotionally exhausted emotionally and still filled with hurt. God began to remind me of several truths.

• God created me in his image. (Genesis 1:27)
• God is good. (Matthew 19:17)
• God is love. (1 John 4:16)
• God is just. (Job 8:3)

I’m nowhere near perfect – that’s obvious! – but I need to not define myself based on what others say about me. I need to not define myself based on what I say about myself. I’m defined by whom God says he created me to be.

(Note: I also trust God uses others to help us see weaknesses and strengths. He uses the relationships in our lives to reveal himself and his will to us. But we must filter what we’re hearing from others – and what we’re saying to ourselves – through his own words for what he wants us to hear and how he wants us to respond.)

God spoke one truth after another to me. My hurt subsided in the context of God’s reality.

Later that day, I climbed onto the elliptical and sweat it out. There’s something cathartic about sweat to me. Kind of gross and perhaps more than you want to know about me. The reality is that sweat is part of our bodies’ temperature-control system. In the process of sweating, our bodies release fluid to cool the body and maintain a healthy, safe temperature.

As I was working out, I chuckled as I thought of how smart God is. (Yes, the simple revelations still surprise me!) Of course, he built in a temperature-control system…in more ways than one. As I sweated, the self- and other- talk that had been poisoning me poured out. What remained were the truths God had been pouring into me earlier in the day.

Yes, my feelings are still a bit hurt. Yes, I’m still a bit tender. But I’m standing firm. And I’m willing to sweat it out, because that’s just how life on earth is sometimes. Someday I’ll live without all the pain of this life. It’s the assurance I have in my relationship with Jesus. In the meantime, God gives me the assurance of who he is and gives me what I need to sweat out the messes of daily life. 

Lord, tell me your ways. Show me how to live. Guide me in your truth, and teach me, my God, my Savior. I trust you all day long. Lord, remember your mercy and love that you have shown since long ago. Psalm 25:4-6