Jabez - breaking the mold

'Jabez' sounds like the Hebrew for pain. His mother associated him with pain. Imagine growing up labeled as one who causes pain. He may have been picked on. He may have had an issue finding a girlfriend/wife. No one typically wants to hang around with someone who causes pain. This is the backdrop of Jabez' life.

At some point, he cries out to God. It was like there was a curse on him and he wanted to break free from it.
He went to the right place.

He asks God to bless him in the following:
-enlarging his territory (real estate)
-for God to be with him
-for God's protection
-to be free from pain

The man who presumably caused pain wanted to be free from pain. I don’t know about you but so do I. He realizes that the way to break the curse was to go to God. The super great thing, is that God granted him the things he prayed for.