
When you experience pain, you feel defeated! You sometimes feel sorry for yourself! You either want to be comforted or be left alone to deal with it on your own.
Pain come in different forms:
No matter which pain you are experiencing, it changes your thinking and the way you act. Pain is part of the suffering we have to endure as mature christians in this world. There are no escape from it. No matter who you are. At some point in your life you will experience pain.
Think about Job and what he had to endure. He was a righteous man in God's sight and experience personal pain and sorrow, but he did not give up. Even better! Think about Jesus...what he had endured on the cross.
Now, why did they endure? I believe two different things:
For Job: Because he understood that worshipping God should be done in all circumstances. Whether you are blessed or tormented. God do not want us to be in pain or suffering, but He allows it, and if God allows it, we need to still worship Him, because Jesus said: It is finished! Soon we will be at a place completely separated from evil and sin that caused pain in the first place.
For Jesus: He knew what His death will bring. Salvation for those who believe. Peace above all understanding, even in the midst of suffering and pain.
Is it easy to worship, love, care, be positive, joyful when you are tormented with pain. No, but something happens when you accept it is part of what we will endure in this life, and knowing that nothing can take you out of the hand of God.
We also need to understand the blessings we have while we are suffering. We are so quick to focus on our pain, that we forget the things that God is blessing us with.
I am not saying that your pain goes away, but it surely helps you focus differently. It is a complicated thinking process, because when you focus on your blessings and not only on the pain, it changes things.
Which brings me to my last point:
During times of suffering, we experience God at a deep, profound level because it teaches us to comfort others. Suffering gives us compassion for others who are hurting, enabling us to minister more effectively.
Is that not crazy! Think about it. How can you comfort someone if you have not experienced suffering. The same applies to addictions you might had in the past that God removed from you. Who better than yourself, can help another person who is going through the same thing.
God is so, so good!
If you are suffering right now! Whether it is emotional, spiritual or bodily, know that God is with you. He gave you Jesus, so that one day, all this pain and torment will be something of the past.
We are in the world, but we do not belong to this world. We are God's children and we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Walk with the Holy Spirit daily, no matter the pain or suffering we are enduring!
Let's run this race together! Come Lord Jesus come!