Articles
Embrace the Pain
“My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord or loathe His reproof, for whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.” (Proverbs 3:11, 12)
There are a lot of reasons why bad things happen. However, the Lord also uses pain to reprove us. Many times we may be comfortable, but it would be best for our spiritual development to go through a change. So, when we experience pain we must try to honestly identify what is causing it.
Are we being attacked by evil men? Then keep the faith and know that our brethren and Jesus Himself have all glorified the Father by persevering in their faith. If we have to die for the cause of God in this life, we will live with Him in eternity.
Are we experiencing the consequences of a world marred by sin? Has our fleshly body just finally worn out? Then pray for strength to finish our race and remember that the sinless Son of God experienced torture and death on our behalf. His resurrection is the assurance of our own resurrection in Him.
Have we been careless in our walk with God? Are we reaping the fruits of fleshly living and thinking? Are we surrounding ourselves with people who uphold us in our carelessness? Repent and ask God for forgiveness. Begin sowing the fruits of zeal and faithfulness. Try to encourage those around us to do the same. If they will not, sow the fruits of zeal and faithfulness without them. God will restore us and we will see the blessings of a living faith.
What if our pain doesn’t seem to be caused by any of these things? The Lord may be using the pain or the change to discipline us. We may not be actively engaging in evil things or behaving carelessly, but we may not necessarily be growing either. Growth often requires us to get out of our comfort zones. When we reach a point in our spiritual walk where the only thing holding us back is our own fear of taking the next step, the Lord may give us a little push. If we get too attached to this world, the Lord may send us a reminder that this world is not our home.
There are some things that do not change. The Lord does not change. His word as the standard for our practices in life and in service to Him does not change. We, however, are imperfect. There is a sense in which we are always changing. We must always be growing. We cannot count ourselves as having apprehended already. We must press on toward the goal.
If we are being disciplined by the Lord, do not despise it. Embrace the pain and look for new opportunities to serve the Lord in it. Search His word for answers and ask Him for help to see the way that He wants us to go. Remember that when things were going well, He was with us then and we needed Him then. Thank Him for this painful experience which is serving as a reminder that we need Him now and at all times.
