We live in a painful world. Turn on the news and you’ll hear a long list of stomach churning and tear jerking events, such as the evil we saw on display recently with the Las Vegas shooting.
"People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire." - Job 5:7 (NLT)
Job says as surely as hot air rises, life deals us nothing but trouble. And often, we object. How often have you heard it said in a news report, or at a funeral, or when relating sad news about a friend: "No one should have to experience (_______)." No one should, but it happens anyway.
But the truth is, no matter who you are, no matter whether you think or anyone else thinks you deserve it, if you live long enough, you’re going to experience some significantly stressful event, like losing a loved one; or getting sick; or someone mistreating you. And the list goes on.
As William Munny said to Little Bill before he shot him in the western, "Unforgiven," when Little Bill objected by saying, "I don't deserve this," "Deservin's got nothing to do with it."
Pain is a part of life; and in this world, we will experience trouble, difficulty, and suffering. Even the Apostle Paul, as undeserving as he was, nevertheless, experienced suffering. Let's read what he had to say about his suffering, and about God's sustaining grace. (READ TEXT)
At this point, I think it is important to underscore that the difference between a believer and a nonbeliever when it comes to suffering is not that believer's don't suffer. In fact, once I become a Christian, I find the evil one is now bent on my destruction, which means I'll encounter even more trouble if I seriously seek to live for Jesus. Though the devil can't take me to hell, he will try to make life a living hell if he can. The good news we learn from Job's experience is that Satan can no nothing to harm me unless God allows him. But he will still try.
"As followers of Christ, we often suffer not because we are out of God's will but because we are in it, not because we lack faith but because we have faith. We suffer not because we need to be filled with the Spirit but because we already are." - D.R. McConnell
In a sense, the believer's suffering is unique; but in another sense, much of the suffering we endure has to do with the imperfection of this world and our fellow man, the same as does the suffering of the unbeliever.
Believers experience sickness like everyone else; cruelty, like everyone else; injustice, like everyone else; death, like everyone else; and suffering, like everyone else. Except, unlike everyone else, we have a relationship with almighty God, who by His grace, sustains us in times of suffering. Note what Paul says our pain and God's sustaining grace.
1. By God's grace, there is purpose in our pain - vs. 7-8
Paul teaches us important truths about how to pray when we suffer. First, it is perfectly fine to ask God to remove the cause of our pain.
Many have debated through the years about what Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was. He describes it as a "messenger of Satan" sent to torment him. A popular view was that it was an eye affliction (Galatians 4:15). But whatever it was, because Paul was speaking metaphorically here, we can safely say that he saw his affliction as being straight from hell. So we can understand why he ask God to remove it.
But notice that the request to have the affliction removed was a secondary request. Paul's first request apparently, was to ask God what He wanted to teach him through this suffering (v. 7).
Paul refers to what he had just said in verses 1-6; and says that God gave him this affliction "to keep him from becoming conceited."
By God's grace, there is a point to our pain, too.
A. There's a specific point that God makes through our suffering.
As many of you know, I am suffering from six broke ribs, three of which are broken in multiple places. Broken ribs hurt! How did this happen? Let me tell you.
I traveled to Albuquerque for a meeting. I went up the street where my meeting place was. To get there, I had to go across a lane with oncoming traffic. When I approached the cross over, the oncoming traffic was about two blocks away. I had enough time to get across to where my meeting was. But when I got to the cross over, a pick up pulled out of that same parking lot, crossed the lane I wanted to cross, and stopped in front of me, blocking my line of sight. I was irritated, I was aggravated, and I was impatient. I reasoned that if I could only move forward, I could see around that pick up and probably still cross over before the oncoming traffic. I was wrong! As the nose of my car went out, it was caught by a vehicle, and I was spun around in my car, which resulted in my broken ribs.
What God has taught me through my pain: I need to be patient, relax, slow down. Be careful of others (thankfully, the other driver walked away without injury). I need to be grateful for life! As I asked God for perspective on my suffering, these are specific things He taught me.
"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." - C.S. Lewis
B. There's a special point that God makes through our suffering.
On our own, we are weak. On our own, we can do nothing. This lesson is one that God wants to teach both believer and nonbeliever. Believers need to learn this lesson to experience God's special plan for them.
Nonbelievers need to learn this lesson to experience God's salvation.
"Suffering is the heritage of the bad, of the penitent, and of the Son of God. Each one ends in the cross. The bad thief is crucified, the penitent thief is crucified, and the Son of God is crucified." - Oswald Chambers
1) In the unrepentant thief, we see God's purpose in his suffering rejected.
It is only as the nonbeliever recognizes they are weak and cannot save themselves, that they will ever turn to Christ for salvation.
2) In the repentant thief, we see God's purpose in his suffering respected.
This unbeliever became a believer in response to his suffering. Additionally, as a new believer, he surrendered what was left of his life completely to Christ. It is only as the believer recognizes that they are weak and can accomplish nothing by themselves, that they will ever submit to Christ's special plan for their lives.
You've heard it said, "God won't put more on you than you can bear." In response, I've heard folks say they wish God didn't think so much of them. But the truth is that on our own, we can do nothing, including bearing up under difficulty (Dwayne & Bonnie Wheat - He gives A Song).
"There is always design in our distress. God so values our trust in Him alone that He will graciously take away everything else in the world that we might be tempted to rely on: even life itself if necessary. His desire is that we grow deeper and stronger in our confidence that He Himself is all we need." - Sam Storms
3) In Christ, we see God's purpose in His suffering perfected.
Jesus lived and died fully dependent on the Father. Which is why He said, "Father, I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do" (John 17:4); "It is finished" (John 19:30a).
It's as we learn this lesson, that we will deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Christ. It's only as I admit my absolute need of God in everything I will face life and death as Jesus did. In other word, sometimes God elects to use pain in our lives to make us more like Jesus.
"Affliction and suffering have been appointed by God as instruments He uses to make us more holy, to make us more like Jesus." - Michael Beates
2. By God's grace, there is power in our pain - vs. 9-10
The power that can be revealed in our pain, when we let it teach us that we're nothing apart from Christ, is the power to reveal Christ to others.
"It’s a prime-time witness, when all eyes are on the person who hurts. In the world of sports, it might be John Elway limping back to the huddle before taking his team to a Super Bowl title. In the movies, it’s Rocky, getting up off the mat, one more time. In real life, it’s a wounded soldier coming home, still proud of the uniform and the duty that cost him so much. And in the New Testament, it’s Paul crawling out from underneath a pile of rocks in Lystra, dusting himself off, and heading to Derbe. When we see such passion in the midst of such pain, we applaud it, follow it, and find inspiration for our own lives through the example of others." - Andy Cook
God can use our pain to reveal the power of the difference His grace can make in one's life.
Conclusion: Few Jewels capture the eye like a perfect pearl. Know how the pearl came to be? In the beginning, it’s only a grain of sand. That irritant slips inside the seal of an oyster’s shell, and immediately causes discomfort. With no way to expel the grain of sand or ease the pain, the oyster coats the sand with a layer of the inner lining of its shell to make the sand smooth. This still doesn't ease the oyster's suffering. Again and again the oyster coats the sand, but all attempts to get rid of it have little effect. As far as an oyster is concerned, what we call a “pearl” is nothing more than great suffering. But one day the oyster is fished from the water and opened. The gem inside has great beauty and value – all because the oyster had great suffering.
God uses pain to shape us into a masterpiece that reveals the power of His grace as He makes us more like Jesus and uses us to point others to Jesus.
So what should my response be to pain?
1) Ask God what He wants you to learn.
2) Ask God to remove it.
3) If He does, praise Him.
4) If He doesn't, praise Him.
For His grace is sufficient.
