Over the last ten years I’ve read tons of books and blog posts on suffering and devoted countless hours in study and thinking about the topic of suffering and pain. Why? Well, for the last 10 years I have been suffering from constant chronic pain. You can read a little about that here.
As I’ve done study and looked at the topic of suffering (not only from a Christian perspective) I’ve been fascinated to see different approaches to pain. In the Western world (in a big generalisation), we don’t really understand pain. We tend to see pain purely as a bad thing that must be avoided at all costs. Keller in his book ‘Walking with God through pain and suffering’ has a super interesting chapter on suffering and different cultures if you want to geek out a little.
But the more I’ve spent time with people who suffer, and the longer I suffer myself, I’ve realised that sometimes the best gift God can give you is pain.
How can that be?
God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what our naturally tendencies are and what our weaknesses are. He knows when we will start to rely on ourselves instead of on Him and He helps us see our daily need to find strength and endurance. Those are hard lessons to learn and, in my experience, the Lord sometimes uses pain.
Take for example my natural tendency to overwork, I love my job so I could easily rack up tons of hours above what is required. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, but it could lead to burn out, to self-reliance and to the thinking that ministry revolves around me and not the Lord. One of the ways that I’m reminded on a daily basis for my daily strength to work and to serve people is my pain.
Pain can be a tool that the Lord uses to fine tune the cords of your hearts to play along to the music sheet of God’s Will. Pain can be the hammer that both smashes glass and build towers. Pain can be the thing that takes you to rock bottom, which is often the moment where you realise that God has been inviting you to know Him more.
In my experience, pain and suffering can’t always be avoided and it doesn’t always have to be. Sometimes the best gift God can give you is pain. One of the questions that I keep asking myself as I continue my journey of suffering is “what’s God trying to teach me through this?” The answer to that questions may not come straight away, in fact it may never come, but that’s not the point. The main thing is to see your pain and suffering in light of eternity and to continue to pursue Christ.
Maybe you’re stubborn or self reliant and need to remember that you’re not in charge but God is. Maybe you’re someone who has been floored by a physical illness and that reminds you that your strength doesn’t come from you but from Him. Maybe you’re suffering and you don’t have the answer for why you’re suffering. Keep on asking why and how God could be using your pain to point you to Him. Sometimes the best gift God can give you is pain.
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