Pain. We all experience it.
I’ve been following a book study about
life’s trials. As I glean new things from this study I am reminded of
things that I’ve learned in the past from personal experience about pain. New and
unlearned things are objective and not yet understood fully until experienced. Learned things are
events or seasons in life when we’ve experienced personally the truths that this study reveals.
Here’s a question for you. Do you believe
that God has a purpose for pain or trials that we experience in this life?
In the New Testament the book of James it tells us in chapter 1 that God wants us to bear up under trials. Trials in our lives
come in many forms. Family, work, marriage, and financial issues, just to name
a few all seem to find their way to our doorsteps. There are normal human responses
to the various pains or pressures we are dealt. Faced with serious challenges, one
of our first responses is to run or escape. Seems to be the best thing we can
think of. Just run.
Secondly we often just moan and
complain about our plight. For those of us who believe in the creator God, we usually
file a complaint directed him. We ask him why he’s letting this event or
situation happen?
A third common response to trial is to blame
someone else or some other circumstance for our trial. We just can’t accept that we
are stuck smack dab in the middle of trouble, when the trouble may have been brought
on by our own wrong decisions. Deferring or projecting our pain onto someone else
seems to ease our pain, but it then creates a bitterness in us that is
projected to others.
Humanly speaking we have these normal
responses. But in the spiritual realm we can choose a supernatural response, as
the book of James tells us to employ. The
passage from James tells us that the testing of our faith produces
steadfastness. Steadfastness is a big word for a number of things. The result
of taking God’s route is that difficulty in our lives can “do its full work”. That
means if we hang on, God will use the problem for our good. It seems to go
against our nature. But following the advice from James will produce good is us.
Now for something from my own life.
I’ve had two separate and distinct seasons when
I was in severe pain. Not physical pain, but emotional distress and tons of
accompanying worry, fear and doubt. These
periods persisted for extended periods of time. The first was not of my own
choosing and seemed to take on a life of its own that took me through very dark
days. Regardless of how I tried to change or escape it, the problems just kept
going and going. It seemed that my life would be changed forever and the pain
would never stop.
My second season of trial and pain was of
my own doing. I just plainly took a wrong path. I wiggled, squirmed and tried
everything I could to remove myself from the situation. But it seemed the more
I tried to escape, again it only got worse. This trial lasted for an extended
period of time too. My own devices and
plans to change and escape did not work. God had to pry my fingers from
this trial so that I could finally rest
in his provision and grace.
Peace can be found in obedience. God gave
us a book of instructions. But many times we just don’t take the time to find
the answers already provided for us. We can have more fulfilling and complete
lives when we turn to the book of the ages for help in times of need.
Life is hard, but God is good. He has a
perfect plan for us, if we will only allow him to work. We must
learn to remove our hands from the wheel and let our God drive and direct us.
Seems only fitting that the God who created us, could be able and willing
to lead us to a life of fulfillment and joy. Living like this is another
example of Living Life to the Full.
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