Finding Promise in Pain

   

    We have made an enemy out of pain. We avoid it at all cots. We mask it whenever possible. We seek comforts that ease upset. Our trials in life are often viewed in negative light. But why? We know that pain FEELS bad... but does that mean that it IS bad?

    Our skin is a barrier. In this barrier we have a defense system that alerts us of damage. The nerves  in our skin sense damage to the skin and send a pain signal to our brans. The pain causes us to IMMEDIATELY move ourselves away from the source of the damage. Just think about any time you’ve burned your hand or gotten a cut. The pain is a good process because it helps us avoid damage to our bodies. It doesn’t FEEL good, but it IS good. There is a disorder called C.I.P.A. which prevents those who have pain from feeling pain. C.I.P.A. sufferers have to constantly check their temperatures to avoid over-heating, they have to check their limbs for bumps and bruises, constantly check themselves for swelling, and often can’t even tell when the have to use the restroom because your brain interprets those signals as pain. Pain allows us to properly govern our bodies.

    Emotional pain works the same way. When we are sad or upset it is a reminder that something has happened to use that disrupts the human experience. Usually it is sin, wether ours, or the sins of others (even death is the consequence of sin). God has given us these built-in compasses to let us know when damage has been done. And just like physical pain, emotional pain should provoke us to correct that which hurts us. If it is something we can’t correct, we should let it remind us that THIS is not what we were created for. That God has better things in store for us. Because God’s creation was flawed with the fall of man, we may never be completely free from pain - but it reminds us of the promise of what is to come! Pain gives us promise.

    “Count it all joy my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” James 1:2-4 ESV

    Pastor Nick