Don’t waste the pain.
It was my first semester in seminary when during the chapel service the following words were said. “Don’t waste the pain.” I thought what on earth could this possibly mean? No one said anything about pain in the glossy seminary brochure. In fact the brochure made it look more like a Pleasantville than a place where there was pain. What good could there be in pain?
Since that time I think I have come to understand the wisdom of those words. In life we have experiences that add to our lives. Experiences that enrich us, those from which we develop character, are often in times of stress and conflict. Places where there is pain and fear. As I reflect on the experiences that have taught me the most I notice something. They often include pain. It maybe that I only learn the hard way, but I think there is something more basic here. The process of sanctification takes place in the hard lessons of life. The word sanctification is the $5.00 word for being made Christ like.
Often God must show us the sin that is in our lives that keeps us prisoners. When we finally see the sin in our lives for what it is there is pain. But such pain is good because it is the pain that can set us free.
Now here is the real catch with the painful experiences, we can either run from the pain or move toward the pain. The solution to problems is not in running from them, the solution is to press through the problem. As a society today when we face pain, we look for instant relief. We suppress our problems with entertainment, or a stiff drink, or just by living in denial. There is real strength to be found in moving through the problem, especially when it is Christ who carries us through. This is the process of being made like Christ while being in Christ. So often the solutions to my problems are that I need to be made more Christ like. So I must remember not to waste the pain but to rejoice in suffering.
Romans 5
Let us rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but let us also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
