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Pain? No, thank you.

From Eric Corbin... Our devotional today speaks of Francis of Assisi and the pain of his life -- physical and otherwise. Haverkamp writes “For Francis, a life of painful struggle was the truest way to live life close to Christ."  She goes on to say “I admit I have trouble understanding this.”  I'm with her.  The expression “No pain, no gain" does not often cross my lips.  The times of my life with the most pain (severe back injury, for example) have not brought me closer to Christ, unless we count anguished prayers of “Dear Lord, make it stop!”  Hmmmm....maybe we should!  I think, too, about times of pain that is not physical, and how my prayer life has indeed strengthened.

There was a persecuted Romanian pastor who said, “In my experience, 95 percent of the believers who face the test of persecution pass it, while 95 percent who face the test of prosperity fail it.”1

Hosea 13:6 puts it like this: “When I [God] fed them, they were satisfied; and their hearts became proud; therefore, they forgot me.”

Perhaps in our times of pain (discomfort?  challenge?) it is easier to recognize our total dependence on God.  I still don't know about seeking out pain, but I do think we shouldn't be so pain-avoidant.  Life isn't all about comfort.  We gain solidarity with others when we experience their pain, and we grow closer to God when we reach out to God in the midst of pain.

Have you felt a closer connection to God and others in the midst of pain?


1 Money, Possessions, and Eternity, by Randy Alcorn, page 46.

Comments

  1. Kena JoMarch 1, 2018 at 8:21 PM

    As I was glancing through one of the books by my favorite author, Jan Karon (The Father Tim series), I found the following quote that is credited to Oswald Chambers:
    "At times God puts us through the discipline of darkness to teach us to heed Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and we are put into the shadow of God's hand until we learn to hear Him... Watch where God puts you into darkness, and when you are there keep your mouth shut. Are you in the dark just now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? Then remain quiet.... When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for somone else when you get into the light". (Found in "In This Mountain" by Jan Karon 2002, pg 178).
    So..... we might be in difficulty now, in order to be of service/comfort to someone else later? A thought that is somewhat scary yet comforting at the same time. I have experienced some of the comforting with two different Stephen ministers the past few years. Even though I hadn't told Pastor Chuck full details, he put me in contact with people who understood exactly what I and my family were going through, because of the experiences they have had to deal with. I also am dimly aware that some of my complusion to reach out to others, whether the person is a stressed out student, a young adult trying to make ends meet, a parent who has a son in trouble, might be because of the experiences I have had throughout my life. It would be nice to think so, but I don't know.
    The scary part is looking ahead - what other experiences may I and my family encounter? What will I be expected to do then? Will God be there? Is God here now? I hate looking ahead, for like most of us I don't want to go looking for trouble. Yet the good and the bad will eventually come regardless of what I want or don't want. Just gotta hang in there! :)
    Namaste

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