August 15th: Your Pain is Not Your Title

On Wednesday, I was reading out of 1 Chronicles. Yep…a lot of names and family trees. This is the star in the void that I found: Jabez was born in pain. Literally. His name means pain. His mother gave him a label based on the circumstance of his birth. But that’s not what defined his life.

1 Chronicles 4:9–10 (ESV) says:“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, ‘Because I bore him in pain.’ Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border…’”

Right in the middle of a long list of genealogies…a break in the begats (what a fun word)…Scripture pauses to tell his story. Why?

Because Jabez knew who he was through prayer. Not through his name, not through his trauma, not through his past, but through the voice of God. The only reason we read about Jabez is because he prayed. That’s it. One man who refused to live under the weight of what he was called, and instead lived into the weight of his calling.

You might’ve been named by pain. You might’ve been marked by trauma. But that’s not your identity. We must preach purity over the next generation…not sorrow. Your tragedy is not your title. Someone else’s frustration is not your future. If the enemy had his way, you wouldn’t have made it this far. But you did. You’re still here. And God’s not done.

Like Jabez, you have a choice: A. To live like pain, walk like pain, and talk like pain…Or B. To rise and pray, “God, bless me. Enlarge my territory. Use my life for more than what I came from.” That prayer changes everything. You are not what the world calls you. You are not what someone else’s disappointment named you. You are who God says you are…and that makes you honorable. Not because of your performance. But because, like Jabez, you called upon the Lord.

So this week, let it be known of your calling, not what you’ve been called. Let His voice be louder than the pain.

I hope you all have a great day, and God bless.

-Brady Baker