Moving Beyond Life’s Pain
Dr. David L. Haun
Hope Christian Church, May 23, 2004
Introduction
All of us face times in our lives when we feel pain and hurt. We wish it never would happen. We wish we might move from birth to the grave free from all discomfort. However, that just doesn’t happen.
There are some typical ways typical people deal with pain in their lives. Sometimes, one will say, "If I just ignore it, it will go away." Or, another frequent response thinks, "If I take some pill it will end the pain." Some go so far as to assume the pain is a burden resulting from improper thoughts or actions.
The Bible offers a different way of looking at pain in our lives. On the night of Jesus’ betrayal, he gathered with his disciples in an upper room. He shared the truth of his coming suffering: the hurt and fear he would face, and the love that would come from the pain. During the evening as he was teaching an object lesson to the disciples, Jesus said, "You don’t realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." (John 13:7)
It is the intention of our sermon today to help us develop our understanding of what Christ meant in his statement, and to discover ways that we might move in our lives beyond life’s pain.
Does God cause pain? Most would agree that God allows it, but there are many who insist that "their" God ever would be the cause of pain, or that God ever would create suffering in our lives. We begin our consideration with the premise that God does, on occasion, bring pain into our lives. As we progress, I believe our consideration of Scripture will make that clear.
I.
Finding God’s Purpose in our Pain (1)
1. God may use pain to Motivate us.
a. All of us remember the story Jesus told of the Prodigal Son. You remember, he asked his father for an early granting of his inheritance, and after receiving what would be his, he squandered in a strange land, finally returning to home to plead with his father to be allowed back.
There are three scenes, acts, or chapters to that Scriptural story.
[Scene one] "....The younger son packed his bags and left."
[Scene two] "….He wasted everything he had. …He was so hungry.
[Scene three] "….That brought him to his senses."
(Luke 15:14-18 – The Message)
b. Most dental insurance plans allows for free cleaning of our teeth three or four times a year. However, even though it is allowed, some of us, including me put off going for that free cleaning as long as we can. We don’t want to take the time to make the appointment and go. Well, just let a Tooth ache appear and the story changes. The pain of the tooth makes us quickly call the dentist
2. God may use pain to Guide us.
"My troubles turned out all for the best — they forced me to learn from your textbook." (Psalm 119:71-72 – The Message)
"Let God train you, for he is doing what any loving father does for his children. Whoever heard of a child who was never corrected?" (Heb. 12:7 - Living Bible)
Pain can be a teaching tool - sometimes a little is enough:
Bit in horse’s mouth or a Rudder on a ship.
Skinned knee on child - be careful.
3. God may use pain to Protect us from a worse situation.
a. Pain of fever means infection that needs attention.
b. Danger of giving aspirin for dog. It can disguise the pain and cause the animal to move in ways that create greater harm.
Leprosy has no pain.
c. Pain can indicate life out of balance
"I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin." (Ps 38:17-18 - NIV)
4. God may use pain to Mature us.
a. Today’s Scripture reading (Hebrews 5:7-9)
b. Pain can be an ongoing part of life. My early "growing pains"
"For when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems …then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, and full and complete." (James 1:4 – Living Bible)
Living with Pain in a Christ-like way
The Bible spells out how this can be done. Let’s look at four scriptural suggestions of how to live through pain as a Christian.
1. "Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ … going so far as actually to die a criminal’s death on a cross." (Phil. 2:5-8 – Living Bible)
a. Remember that experience mentioned earlier in the upper room, and the statement of Jesus: "You don’t understand now. One day you will."
b. The cross didn’t end him. It gave a new beginning.
c. Suffering can be undeserved, but a Christ-like attitude as you live through it will add to your wisdom, your compassion, and your understanding.
2. "If you are suffering according to God’s will, keep on doing what is right and trust yourself to the God who made you, for He will never fail you." (I Peter 4:19 – LB)
Remember the Old Testament experience of Job, and his wife’s suggestion following his early disasters that he simply curse God and die.
There’s nothing as failing as someone in misery whose complaining and whining attitude makes everyone soon withdraw and separate. Pain is no reason to allow bitterness to brew.
3. In all things ... "recognize God is in control, and give thanks. "Let every detail in your lives - words, actions, whatever - be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of 0th way." (Colossians 3:17 - The Message)
4. Always remember, you never are alone.
a. Many years ago, a Christian Scholar named Matthew Henry developed commentaries about all the books of the Bible. In one of his commentaries he made a statement that I have paraphrased because of it’s wisdom. He wrote: It is the same providence of God that on the one hand afflicts his people, and on the other hand relieves them. It is the same Spirit of God who both convicts his children, and at the same time comforts them. It is the same Lordship of God that demands obedience and loyalty, while also offering spiritual adoption (2)
b. The Bible shares the spiritual truth: "Come, let us return to the LORD! He has torn us in pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time, he will restore us so we can live in his presence. Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him! Then he will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring." (Hosea 6:1-3 NLT)
Conclusion
A. Life does have both joy and pain, ease and hurt.
B. Whichever we experience today, let it guide, motivate, protect and mature us.
C. Remember, always God is here with us as we live our lives...
FOOTNOTE
(1) This first point was developed with the help of a sermon by Dr. Dick Wills, pastor of Christ’s Methodist Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dick’s sermon was titled "The Reality About Your Pain," preached on 06/16/96.
(2) (Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible. Hendrickson Publisher, Inc. Electronic Database. 1991) from the computer program PC Bible Study.
