Sometimes when writing blogs there is a push in me to come up with something new. This will not be one of those blogs. New ideas and new things to work on are good but practice makes perfect.  In Ecclesiastes 1:9 it even says, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

What I want to talk with you about is the pain that we experience in life and how we react to it.  So let’s get some definitions out of the way.  Pain is the physical and sometimes emotional discomfort that we feel when we encounter difficult situations in our life. This may include bodily injuries, diseases, cold, heat, hunger, or even situations like the death of a loved one. Okay great, we got that out of the way.

So why is it important to talk about pain?  It is important, because it is an inevitable part of life. From the first breath you breath to the last, you will have struggle in your life. For many of us, the pain of life can cause us to lose our focus on God and His purpose in our life.  So really, I want to talk less about the pain in our life and more about our reaction to it.

Questioning God
For many of us, we were raised in situations where we were taught that once we gave our life to God then we would have no more pain or suffering. That God, being the great healer, would take all of our pain away.  However, after 46 short years of life, I realize that this is not the case.

The Bible is full of people who followed God and still experienced struggle in their life. Even Jesus suffered the pain of the cross. So, if you are one of those people that think God isn’t listening to you because you are in pain or have struggles, know that God hears you, but sometimes the answer is ‘no’ when we ask for something to be taken away.  Remember even Jesus said, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).  God’s answer to Jesus was that He had to endure the cross.

Questioning Myself
How many of you do this?  As soon as something difficult or painful happens, you start thinking, “What did I do?”  I know that is a big one for me.  I think this stems from the idea that any pain in our life is bad, and we know that God is a good god that wouldn’t put pain in our life without justification. Then if we experience pain, it is because we have done bad.

First, let’s get this part out of the way. I’m a sinful man, and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).  So anything that God wants to do with me is completely justified. However, I also know that the pain I experience in my life is not always a direct connection to things that I’ve done.

The Bible is full of examples of people who experience pain that was not a consequence of their choices, behavior, or sin. For example, in Job, his friends try to convince him that he’s experiencing what he’s experiencing because of something that he has done. However, it is made very clear that it is not because of what he has done, but it is a test of Job.

In John chapter 9, we have the story of the blind man. The people around him ask what sin he had committed to have been born blind or what sin had his parents committed that he was born blind. However, it states that he did nothing wrong, and his parents did nothing wrong.  He was born blind so that God could be glorified in his healing.

Pain is Necessary
So here are two things that I know about pain from the scripture. First is that God is a good and loving God and still brings pain into our life. Therefore, I know that pain is a necessary part of making it to heaven in some way. Second, I know that not all pain in my life is a direct consequence of my behavior. This means that the pain that I experience in life is about more than punishment.  It is also about purpose and growth and bringing me closer to God.

So let’s get this off the table first. Self-induced pain does not bring you closer to God. It’s just stupid. However, the pain that we experience in life is what often brings us closer to God and shows who God is.

In 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Paul says this about his own suffering: “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.  And he said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Pain helps us to understand that our strength, intelligence, or any other quality is not what gets us through life or makes us worthwhile.  It is only God. We really bring nothing to the table except God working through us.

Pain often makes us weak. It wears us down physically and emotionally. Pain brings us to a point where all that is left is the spirit and our connection to God. How many times did David cry out to God (Psalm 51; 57:1-3;142:1). I think that if David hadn’t had so much pain in his life, he would have not really known who God was. Many of his psalms were written from a place of pain and despair. However, in the end he always acknowledged that God was God and that David would follow Him no matter what he experienced.

He is in Control
Pain is a reminder that, as humans, we are fragile. We have little control over the circumstances in our life and probably even less control over our physical bodies. Eventually pain leads us to a choice point in our life to either give in to God and His control or to try and control and be the masters of our own life.

When we choose to be the ones who control our life, we will always come to the same conclusions: life is too complex and out of control for me to take care of. This will lead to despair, anger, frustration, or a general feeling that God is doing this to me because He is bad or I am bad. However, when we turn it over to God and say, “He is in control of my life,” then we can see that pain in our life is in His purpose.

It helps us to turn back to Him, to acknowledge that He is in control, and that I am only strong in Him.  When we see that even pain has a purpose in our life, then we are able to relax and know that He is working a good thing in me not just when I am uncomfortable, but especially when I am uncomfortable. When I let go and acknowledge that He is moving me to who He wants me to be, I can have His love, joy, and peace rather than anxiety and doubt.

– Written by Jeremiah

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