The pediatric radiologist sits down with you, slides a picture of an X-ray across the table, and says your 2-year-old’s tummy ache is being caused by the Lego piece she swallowed.
You don’t take the X-ray, rip it to pieces and say, “There, all better sweetie.” That’s not addressing the problem.
Pain. Without it, we wouldn’t know there’s a problem.
If we listen to it patiently and perseveringly—and not toss it into the other room or rip it to pieces—it will guide us to address the real problem.
Pain is not your enemy. It’s trying to tell you something. That’s good.
The Bible puts it this way, “Those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good” (1 Peter 4:19).
God is more interested in creating happiness in you than changing things around you that make you momentarily happy.
That might be painful, but it’s good.
God creates things through your pain and suffering like a blacksmith creates a sword, lock, or hammer by causing incredible, fiery pain to the iron.
Don’t be afraid of the pain. Be afraid of the undetected, neglected problem.
PRAYER: Dear God, your Son Jesus experienced ultimate pain when he suffered for my sins and the sins of the world. This is pain I will never endure as long as I trust him, and I do. All the other suffering in my life, you promise it’s for my good. I commit myself to that, to you. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: Do some journaling today. Just find a way to write for at least 10 minutes. Spend some time on this, and you’ll benefit tremendously. Say a prayer now, asking God for guidance. Now, doodle a bit and write down your top 3 problems causing you pain right now—physical, mental, emotional, spiritual or relational hurt. Name them! Now, ask God to help you deal with them his way. If that means he takes them away, great, but if he wants you to learn from them and grow closer to him and others through them, that won’t happen if you’re shutting God down. So let him be himself, let him have his way, let him show you himself.