One of the more profound insights that I was struck by in that conversation was the radical difference between how our society views and treats pain verses how God views and treats pain.
We live in a society that views pain as a problem to be avoided (or eased) at all costs. One study I read estimated that in the US, we spend over 16.4 Billion every year on pharmaceuticals to diminish our pain. As a guy who lives with chronic back pain, I get it. As I write this, there’s a twinge in my back from an old body-surfing accident, one that flairs up any time I happen to roll over onto my stomach when I sleep. I’ll be the first to say, “I hate pain and I wish it wasn’t part of the human existence.” But it is.
I cannot help but note that pain is a very real part of life in this sin-warped world. Whether physical, emotional, mental or spiritual, we encounter pain in various forms every single day of our lives. And my knee-jerk reaction is to lament its existence and to do everything in my power to alleviate pain (and its weaker little brother, discomfort) both for myself and my loved ones.
However, as I read scripture, I cannot help but notice that the biblical writers didn’t have the same negative perspective on pain. To them, pain wasn’t something to be avoided at all costs. Rather, they viewed it as a natural part of life that could help us grow spiritually. Just listen to a few takes on pain and suffering:
“We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:3,6-7)
Why on earth would we rejoice in our suffering or count our trials as reason for joy? From a 21st American mindset that makes no sense. Suffering, trials and pain are things to be avoided, not celebrated, right?!
And yet, the average American will also spend $112,000 in their lifetime on their fitness – this includes gym memberships that we may or may not use as well as personal training when we really need a kick in our pants. Because we understand that physical health doesn’t come through sitting on the couch with a remote and a bag of chips. It comes through allowing our bodies to endure the discomfort of a work-out; strength comes through exercising our muscles until they grow fatigued.
In the same way, our Heavenly Father knows that while we crave comfort, the trials of life are the best crucibles for our character. He understands that although we would like to avoid pain, our faith grows best when it’s put to the test. And so He allows us to endure trials and hardship and pain.
But our Father doesn’t ask us to endure the storms of life alone. He is right there with us. Or to use the training metaphor, His Holy Spirit resides within us, our own personal trainer who guides us in our response to pain, comforts us in our distress, and encourages us to keep going. Why? Because He knows that the pain is fleeting, but what it’s producing in us lasts far longer.
So don’t doubt God’s love for you if you’re enduring pain right now. It’s a natural byproduct of life in this sin-warped world. Yes, it’s uncomfortable. Yes, we’d like to avoid it if possible. And yes, we will still distract ourselves from it from time to time with Netflix and memes. But the problem with pain isn’t the pain itself.
The problem with pain is our perception of it.
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