There are different kinds of pain … physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, grief, etc. (financial, betrayal, rejection). Paul, in Galatians 3:4 wrote, “Have you experienced/suffered so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?”
In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about a thorn in the flesh that he had received from Satan. (vs. 7) Three times he asked the LORD to take it away and each time the LORD said “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Paul responded, “So now I am glad to boast about my weakness so that the power of Christ can work through me.”
Note: Paul learned that God’s grace/favor was sufficient. So, how might God use pain in your life or mine?
A. God uses pain to draw us closer to Him and to help us see that we can worship Him despite the pain.
· Paul learned that God’s grace/favor was all he needed.
In 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 NIV, Paul wrote “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him, we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.”
C. S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasure, but He shouts to us in our pain.”
B. God uses our pain to draw us closer to others in fellowship.
Note: I have been widowed twice and I have learned from these experiences how to connect with others in their pain. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Paul wrote, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
· Our pain equips or trains us to minister to others in the same way God ministers to us.
C. God uses our pain to deepen our walk (discipleship) with Him. Paul, in Galatians 5:22-23, wrote, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
In Proverbs 20:30 GNT we read, “Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.”
Growth is not automatic. The way we respond to our pain will determine whether we draw nearer to God or distance ourselves from Him.
In Hebrews 5:8-9 we read, “Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. 9 In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.”
D. God can use our pain to enhance our witness for Him. Note: God’s building a life story in each of us. What we experience gives us credibility, whether they listen to our story or not. Because it is our story, they will be more inclined to listen.
Paul went through many painful trials but in Philippians 1:12-14 he wrote, “And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13 For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 14 And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.”
In 2 Corinthians 6:4 Paul wrote, “In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.”
Pain can be God’s way of pruning us so that we can bear much fruit as we live for Christ.
Many years ago, Paul Billheimer wrote a wonderful little book entitled “Don’t Waste Your Sorrows.”
That is the gist of what I have been sharing in this meditation. I hope it will help you deal with your pain.
God bless you,
Pastor Leonard
