Purposeful Pain

The human body is incredible.  Now and then as I'm curling my hair or cooking, my hand will brush the edge of scorching hot metal.  Ouch!  Without a second's thought or conscious decision making on my part, my brain signals my body to recoil quickly to protect itself.  Burns hurt, but if my body hadn't experienced a moment's pain, it wouldn't have saved itself from greater harm and damage.

We see that there is a reason for experiencing pain in our physical bodies, and I also find so with inner pain and struggle we experience in life.  Although our physical reaction is to flee from it, I believe that there is striking evidence for the power of feeling pain, accepting it, even embracing it for a time so that God's work might be more complete in us and so that it may be purposeful pain.

First, pain is purposeful because it reminds us of our dependence on Christ.  It's so easy to believe with our head that we need God every moment, and yet when things are going according to our plans, hopes, and desires, I'm not so sure we truly display and treasure this in our hearts.  The beautiful thing about hurting is that it breaks us in such a way as to remind us that we are not the king of our castle or lord of our life.  He is the King of King and Lord of Lords.  It is in pain that we are brought to a breaking point of surrender and humility in which we know that we depend on Him for every ounce of being.  We come to that moment just as the psalmist did when he cried out, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73: 26).  We are in need of Christ every second, and pain graciously brings us to this understanding in such a way that ease never could.

Secondly, pain shines a brilliant light on God's goodness to us.  When the hurting is raw, it strips away the frivolous and unimportant things in life that often hinder our thankfulness and view of the abundance we've been provided.  I shouldn't concern myself with whether or not I've been given earthly blessings or not (although He truly has provided those for me time and again).  No, pain reveals anew to me that God would make a way for a wretched and broken sinner such as me to be redeemed and restored to Himself through His Son.  It's utterly astounding and begins to turn the pain into pure rejoicing and praise.  I love how two Psalms that I read recently have perfectly expressed this thankfulness and recognition.  The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.  The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance (Psalm 16: 5-6).  Amidst any hurt, His children can be assured and grateful that our lot has fallen in pleasant places because we will inherit the kingdom of God since we are united with His Son.  Stated another way, my heart prays along with David as he cries out, "But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me." (Psalm 13:5-6)  It's becoming clearer to me why James might enlist us to count trials and suffering as joy.  Pain can have beautiful purposes in our lives!

Finally, as John Piper so eloquently suggests in Desiring God, pain shows to others around us the power of Christ's suffering on the cross and His love in our lives even today.  As I read Piper's words, I was stopped dead in my tracks by the powerful truth of these sentences.  Soak this thought in with me.  "Here is the astounding upshot: God intends for the afflictions of Christ to be presented to the world through the afflictions of His people.  God really means for the body of Christ, the church, to experience some of the suffering He experienced so that when we proclaim the Cross as the way to life, people will see the marks of the Cross in us and feel the love of the Cross from us.  Our calling is to make the afflictions of Christ real for people by the afflictions we experience in bringing them the message of salvation" (Piper, 2011, p. 269-270).  Did you really get that, because I'm understanding it more fully every time I read it.  If we want to proclaim the truth of the Gospel to unbelievers and fellow believers, then our experiencing pain is on purpose!  To save me, Jesus suffered the pain and the full wrath that I deserved, and so my own pain in seasons of life can boldly reflect that Christ is enough no matter what the circumstances we face.  His love and saving work is perfect and all that I need.  Every other thing pales in comparison when He takes His rightful place as the Treasure in my life.

If it takes being dropped to my knees over and over again to be reminded that when I am weak He is strong, I will take it (2 Corinthians 12:10).  Again and again, I will ask that He grant me the ability and the heart view to count it all joy (James 1:2-4).  Pain has a purpose in our lives for it reminds us of our need, His provision, and the all-sufficiency of His death, burial, and resurrection on our behalf.  May Christ transform my heart continually making me ever more in His likeness and impact my circle of influence in the process.  Painful, yes, but oh so precious and purposeful.