Pain is a blessing… Sounds like a contradiction, right?
I’ve always been emotional. When I feel, I feel so deeply– a blessing that sometimes feels like a curse because that means pain cuts deep.
Pain is pain. Our trails are not fun. They are not easy. They are not joyful in nature.
But I’m learning this: trials are a valuable part of life because they play a role in our overall joy.
Our pain plays a role in in our understanding of God’s goodness. Our pain plays a role in who we’re meant to be.
We may already know this, but what is our response to our trials?
Personally, I often find myself pleading with God, begging to be released from my situation.
We have two options: fight or flight.
We have a natural tendency to choose flight. We wish to escape from our trials. We’re desperate for our pain to leave us. But, imagine what would happen if we just chose to fight the good fight. Imagine what would happen if we just believed God’s promises. Imagine what would happen if we just placed our full trust in Him.
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain,” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
The thing is, Jesus knows great pain; He knows it very well. We are not alone in our sufferings.
Pain is meant to be felt because there is a purpose behind it all: He is at work.
“Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains.” – CS Lewis
When we stay present in our trails, we become more aware of His voice. We become more aware of His faithfulness, and our faith flourishes. When we give ourselves wholly to Jesus, we stop giving into our fears because we wholeheartedly believe His written promises. We become stronger. We become more like the person He created us to be. We gain a new, eternal perspective.
Life becomes sweeter.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,” (James 1:2).
Our trials remind us that we are not self-sufficient like we so desperately try to be in our culture. Thank goodness He promises we are not alone, because I know I could never go through my trials on my own.
He will carry you through your pain.
He will pull you in closer to Him.
He will comfort you.
He will finish His good work in you.
He will turn your darkness into light.
“You, oh Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light,” (Psalm 18:28)
We cling to comfort; we idolize it. But comfort will not grow us, and neither will a “nice and pleasant life.”
We must surrender. We must surrender our own will to God’s will, and rest on His promises. We must surrender our idol of comfort, and rest on His promises.
It is through our trials that we discover a full life in Him. It is through our trialsthat we become more like Jesus. It is through our trials that we learn true, lasting joy.
I wholeheartedly believe this:
Our deepest joy is on the other side of our deepest pain.
Will you surrender?
