Many times in life we experience a part of life that is quite unpleasant. We avoid it at all costs, try to ignore it when it comes our way, and we write countless books on how to live lives free from Christian pain and suffering.
You see it is a problem with pain and suffering.
Recently I had a medical condition that gave me quite a bit of this nasty little pest called pain. And I can be quite honest that I reacted and felt just like everyone else does.
“OH GOD PLEASE TAKE IT AWAY.”
However over the years, and the experiences I have had with pain, I have learned a few valuable lessons.
Why Does God Allow Pain And Suffering?
Pain and suffering cause depth of character. Just as an athlete experiences pain when he pushes his body to the limit, pain pushes our character and soul to limits and increases that same character and soul.
You do not know what you can endure and overcome until you have been tried.
If we did not have pain, we would not recognize joy. Life would be numb.
Consider the person who has everything has to work for nothing. These are some of the most miserable people I know.
They whine, complain, and gripe about the littlest things. They do not recognize how good they have it because they have never experienced not having it.
Lessons About Christian Pain And Suffering
Pain cannot be avoided, it can only be learned from, and many times pain teaches us things that we could learn nowhere else.
If I may use an example from my own life, people find that I am probably the biggest discourager of divorce.
Now you might think that is strange since I am divorced. But to the contrary, I have experienced that Christian pain and suffering first hand.
I know the ripping of the soul that happens in divorce, the shattering of your life and the lives of your kids. I know that divorce is not a quick fix or worth chasing after some person of the opposite sex. It is just downright painful.
But I also know that even in the midst of pain, God is with us.
Jesus experienced emotional pain in the garden of Gethsemane and physical pain on the cross. He knows what it feels like. Our Savior knows what betrayal, broken trusts, and physical abuse is all about. He went through it too.
And not only did He go through it, but he came out the other side victorious.
He knows the path to healing from these things. I could not have learned any other way.
So pain and suffering taught me a valuable lesson. That is the reason that God allows pain and suffering. He doesn’t cause it, but He allows it. I wonder how many people would have joy-filled lives if they would recognize that He can show them the path to healing.
