Living With Pain

'My son, if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal' Ecclesiastes 21:1

Rugby and football players often have injuries and yet they are told to start a game and play through the pain. The American football coach Vince Lombardi used to tell his players, "Men, you can only win the big games when you learn to play with the little hurts of life." Many sports enthusiasts console themselves over pain during training with the reminder, no pain no gain. This is the reality.

Timothy Keller introduced his book Walking with God through Pain and Suffering (Ref 1) with this sentence, 'Suffering is everywhere, unavoidable and its scope overwhelms'. Keller bravely recognised pain and suffering as a reality of life and we are often subjected to forces beyond our power to manage. 

Even as we may blithely accept the reality of pain, we should always sympathise with those who are undergoing the suffering and anguish. Their major concern is not just the relief of it but how can they survive it, how can one get through the ordeal without losing the best part of oneself. Suffering can strip away at our humanity and dignity; our personal survival.

A major concern borne out by the life of Job is that life can be unfair. There seems to be no correlation between whether we do wrong or right compared with the rewards or the suffering we get from life. While we may accept that life can be difficult, undeserved suffering is very difficult to accept. 

Many people reject God because of the experience of pain and suffering in their lives especially when they feel that they do not deserve the predicament. How can a good God allow such misery? 

What will be the response for Christians? 

In the book, the Çity of God', St Augustine spoke of suffering and opined that what matters is not the nature of the suffering but the nature of the sufferer. How has it affected us? How has it shaped our lives? Is it creating a movement in our souls that directs us to God?

When Christians face pain and undeserved suffering, it might do well for us to remember that Jesus endured the cross. A bitter agony which He bore for us. He paid the ultimate penalty for our sins and hung there on the cross, crucified. There is a negro spiritual 'Were You There When They Crucified the Lord' to remind us that Jesus also suffered.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? 

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? 

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they pierced him in his side?

Were you there when they pierced him in his side?

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when they pierced him in his side?

Were you there when they took him from the cross?

Were you there when they took him from the cross?

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when they took him from the cross?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Were you there when the stone was rolled away?

Were you there when the stone was rolled away?

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when the stone was rolled away?

This acceptance of pain is not a stoic, fatalistic or cop-out response. Christians see always an element of God's grace wherein God is in control and will eventually put things right. Even if it does not lead to the removal of the pain, God's grace will lead to mitigation and alleviation of the suffering. It is not surprising then, that for as many people who may reject God because of pain and suffering, others find God instead. Timothy Keller surmised, "I learned that just as many people find God through affliction and suffering. They find that adversity moves them towards God rather than away." This was exactly the conclusion and meaning of Psalms 34:1-3

'I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise will continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.'

• Praise can be uttered by the mouths of the privileged as well as the deprived
• Reality of pain and suffering should be recognised not ignored nor rejected
• Blessings will also come for the afflicted too
• The worship of God will uplift our souls and help us survive our suffering

Inevitably, we, growing older, will have to deal with our frailties. Our physical bodies will fail us, some suffering from disease will be in pain. Living with pain will become a reality and at this stage we need to learn how to maintain a life of purpose in the midst of this adversity. There is no fear. Enjoy this song, How Can I Fear?

 

When shadows fall and the night covers all

There are things that my eyes cannot see.

I never fear, for the Saviour is near.

My LORD abides with me!

How can I fear? Jesus is near!

He ever watches over me!

Worries all cease; He gives me peace.

How can I fear with Jesus?

When I'm alone and I face the unknown

And I fear what the future may be,

I can depend on the strength of my Friend!

He walks along with me.

How can I fear? Jesus is near!

He ever watches over me!

Worries all cease; He gives me peace.

How can I fear with Jesus?

Jesus is King! He controls everything!

He is with me each night and each day.

I trust my soul to the Saviour's control;

He drives all fear away!

How can I fear? Jesus is near!

He ever watches over me!

Worries all cease; He gives me peace.

How can I fear with Jesus?

Let us take comfort that there is no tragedy we will face, no hardship we will endure and no adversity we will encounter where God is not with us, steadily holding us up with his mighty hand. This is why people find God in the midst of their pain and adversity. C.S. Lewis once said, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience but shouts in our pain."

Lionel

Ref 1: Timothy Keller, Walking With God through Pain and Suffering. Hodder and Stoughton Ltd, 2015