609: Gift of Pain

"God intends to pour a flood of happiness into our lives, and he will do so if we only recognize that this is so (Ps 128, Jer. 32:36-41)."-Strachan and Sweeney

The first thing I want to do in this post is give a warning. As you read this blog series you will have a tendency to do one or both of two things depending on the type of person you are:

1) You will take the aspects of pain I am writing of and place them as the sole (or even the primary) characteristic of its truth. Rather than seeing the multiple dimensions of pain's usefulness and God's purposes in pain... you will see only this unidimensional reason I am speaking of. There are MANY REASONS for pain... so many it would take multiple authors each writing multiple books on the subject. And they still wont scratch the surface... at least in DESCRIBING it to you.

or:

2) You will like me, jump to judging conclusions about the authors teaching on the subject. Because I only hear one reason for pain... I conclude the author only thinks there is one reason for pain. This is VERY foolish... yet so many of us do it. Hence the "blog-kung-fu" you read everyday where people volley back and forth comments upon one another because they never considered that maybe their friend is just attempting to make one point. We feel the need to paint the whole sistine chapel in one sitting rather than realizing it takes a lifetime to see the full painting. Me=guilty of this often!

#2-Pain is purposed to our good.

Just as pain hinders our ability to see the pain others are going through... it also shortens our vision. Pain not only demands our full attention, it demands our full attention RIGHT NOW. It's hard to see purpose in pain, even when it comes from the hand of a loving dad when we do something against his wisdom and knowledge of what is good for us. Which means it is that much harder to see a good purpose in pain that seems to be coincidental, unexplained, or "evil". So much of the time I reason that because the pain I feel now is unexplained (which just means I don't get it... I'm not in control) I believe it is just fate or coincidence, and because I equate pain as something bad... this source of pain must be "evil" or wrong because it intends to harm me. Now if I didn't believe in a God (and a loving one at that... that is sovereign over everything) this would be a very logical way of reasoning. But I DO believe in a God, and one that has my best at heart... he does purpose for my happiness, holiness, and joy... which I believe to be very interconnected and interrelated. So therefore, my reasoning is faulty. So if you are someone who doesn't believe in a God, or a God that loves you and wants what is best for you... then I would love to tell you more of why I think this is the truth. And while it sounds cheezy... honestly... help you see the best life to live... real life. Your missing out. But if you are someone who believes as I do... then we both have issues with truly living in this truth. This just shows how much my "natural" nature does not want part of this truth. It is revolutionary... and thus hard to reorient my upside down way of thinking to see the world really is round... not flat as my natural senses tell me it is.

It is pretty obvious how pain served me in this endeavor to run a marathon. Pain is not evil inherently. As a matter of fact... it can be very good and beneficial. Its a NEUTRAL quality that ... finds its character based on its giver. Just as Joseph's (from the Bible) brothers intended the pain they inflicted on him for evil... it WAS evil from them. BUT... the interesting thing is that when you live in "the blessed life" with God... there can be more than one being giving the same pain. Joseph understood this when he said "what you intended for evil, God intended for good" when he spoke to his brothers years after they sold him to slave traders. So while Joseph incurred pain from man (because of sin) he incurred a gift or blessing from God by the same act. And so did many other people (Read Genesis 37-50). In the same way... I receive pain on a daily basis that is intended for evil and good both in one. Good news is... the more powerful the user... the more potent the pain and its result is more long standing. So... good news is... since God is ALL POWERFUL and pain is a great tool of his... He wins and we win. Because He purposes pain for our good, unlike myself and yourself who so much of the time inflict pain simply to harm the other person.

According to the rules of nature, pain was inevitable in my training. I've run no more than 5 miles at a time before this attempt... so obviously my body is attempting to go to uncharted waters and will experience a LOT of pain. Its a part of our fallen and frail bodies.. think about it. But my pain tells me things about my state. It tells me, "ok jake... you are about to die, your leg is about to break, etc."... so pain is not JUST a hindrance either. It is a warning system to prevent me from making an awful mistake or causing greater harm to myself. It is a reminder of my fallen and frail state... which points me back to the gospel of Christ, my need for Him, my human condition (or lack of condition), and the battle I am in daily. It allows me to feel the lowest of lows, and experience the grace of others in a MUCH MORE DRAMATIC fashion.

During race day, there were hundreds of children passing out oranges, bananas, and drinks along the road to encourage and empower the runners. The first 15 miles I thought, "aw... thats cute and awfully nice of them... good kids!". Miles 15-22 I thought, "praise God these kids are passing out bananas! Make these cramps stop!". Miles 22-26.2... I'm nearly in tears with every stranger who gives me food, drink, and words of encouragement. At one point, a stranger is giving me some of his peanut butter m&m's (he thought it would help? nice thought) and stretching me on the side of the road to make the cramping stop, while a kid is giving me an orange and encouraging me by name. I experienced the love of these strangers in a much more meaningful way, it was sensed so deeply that it was no longer a thought, acknowledgement, or belief of their love... but a knowledge and impact that shook me to my roots in that moment. I then realized how little of my life have I lived in pain and neediness. And its only in this neediness (or the realization of it... because we all have needs) that grace and mercy are experienced. Pain gives the paintbrush of the gospel a whole array of colors.

Pain empowered me to complete a marathon. Pain allowed me insight. Pain gave its counterpart, relief, so much magnitude. Pain gave me a valley, to see how high the mountains are. Pain was the symptom of sanctification and strengthening. Pain is a sensation that tells me I'M ALIVE! Pain told me something was wrong that I needed to fix. Pain gave me something to HOPE for. Pain allowed me to be comforted. Pain humbled. Pain taught me. Pain matured me. Pain's hindrances were overcome because of past pains. Pain brought about praise. Pain made me thankful. Pain helps me relate to others. Pain allows me to comfort others as well. Pain reminds me who I am. Pain corrects me. Pain guides me. Pain explains. Pain tells me who I should fear (God alone). Pain allows me to sense greater joy, happiness, elation, and relation. But ONLY because the ultimate and sovereign giver of this pain is a GOOD and LOVING GOD. His use for pain trumps the use of the world. Another bit of wonderful news entailed in the gospel of Christ Jesus!

What does your pain do? If your pain does not terminate in this way... I want to invite you to please join me in a good life. SEE IT. LOOK. ASK.

jake

"I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me." -Jeremiah 32:40