The Good behind the Pain

This note is dedicated to my friends: Ester Linda Gee who was going through her eye operation on 9th February 2011, Ivane Felsye who was going for her 3th operations this year on 25th February 2011 and who every you are that was or is going through hardship and pain at this present moment.  Only the Lord knows exactly what you all had been through. I’m so encourage that both of you still can smile and remain faithful to Him, thank you sisters for giving us hope to live through pain in this broken world. L’Chaim! (A Hebrew toast, cheers ‘to life!’)

Sometime we do question God – ‘Is pain my punishment?’ But have you heard or read the expression that the ‘rain fall on the just and the unjust’ – or someone may tell you, the just and the unjust, we are all the sinners. I’m aware that after reading many books and engage in conversations, there are people who denied the existence of sin in this world and saying that pain is just a state of mind.  I cannot argue with research that experts had made for many years which come to this conclusion, but by His Wisdom, I know that pain is more than just a state of mind, it’s real. 

All of us are or will be the victim of pain. It’s simply a fact of our existence, regardless of how good or bad we are. Max Lucado writes it wisely, ‘When we face struggles, we often wonder, Why? Years from now, though, we may realize that it was those struggles that taught us something we could not have otherwise learned – that there was a purpose in our pain.’

I’m not an expert nor do I claim to be, but these 4 things about pain I’ve learned:

It happens to everyone – It happens even to people of God like Abraham, Moses, David, Paul, rich or poor, male or female, adult or infant.

It may not seem fair – Life isn’t fair? No, but there is One who justifies life and understands that pain: Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

It is allowed by God – “This does not mean that God deliberately plans to hurt us. He wants us to let his love shine through to us always, and he never lets us be tested with pain... (added mine) beyond the ability he gives us to cope.” (Quote from Collins Bible Companion)

It can teach us more about God – it can be used to draw us closer to Him. It made us realize just how far we have wondered from God, or just how great and loving he is. It reminds us of just how much we need his help and power.

Many authors attempt to explain why God allow pain come to us and they wrote hundreds of pages about this topic, so, it is obvious that this note cannot contain all the details there’s regarding on pain. Nor that we can know fully the mystery of God (neither of us can, not here on earth) but let the mind of Christ conclude this note with a word of encouragement. Not my, but Christ:

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

God’s purpose is greater than your pain, and he has a greater purpose than your problems. Open your eyes wide for His purpose in your life, remain faithful and endure this pain with a joyful heart, never stop bless the Lord with your heart and your lip,

“For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)