What Kind Of Pain Are You Going Through - And How Will You Get Through It

Pain. How would you define it?

I see some people grumble about the smallest things, and I say that respectfully. Some people have never really fought a serious battle—yet.

Give it time. Life has a way of introducing all of us to pain. Sickness comes. Loss comes. Betrayal comes. Financial hardship comes. Death comes. Nobody gets a pass. The older I get, the more I realize that many of the things I once called problems were really just inconveniences. Real pain has a way of changing your perspective.

I read something today that caught my attention about the Apostle Paul. Before he was Paul, he was Saul. Saul was a highly educated religious leader, a Pharisee who believed Christians were a threat to everything he valued. He hunted them down, dragged them from their homes, put them in prison, and approved of the execution of Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

Then one day, while traveling to Damascus to arrest more Christians, Saul encountered the risen Jesus Christ. In a moment, everything changed. The persecutor became the preacher. The man who hated Christianity became one of its greatest defenders.

What’s fascinating is that before Saul’s new life in Christ even began, God said this about him: “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16 NCV).

Think about that. Before Paul preached a sermon, planted a church, wrote a letter, or traveled a missionary mile, God already knew the road ahead. He knew the beatings, the imprisonments, the shipwrecks, the hunger, the rejection, the sleepless nights, and the sacrifices Paul would face.

It’s important to understand that God wasn’t punishing Paul. He was preparing him. The suffering would humble him. It would teach him dependence upon God. It would give credibility to his message. It would deepen his faith. It would spread the Gospel farther than comfort ever could. Years later, Paul would become one of the most influential Christians who ever lived, but much of what God did in him came through hardship, not ease.

I’ve noticed the same thing in life. Cancer teaches things health never could. Failure teaches things success never could. Loss teaches things comfort never could. Some of the deepest work God has ever done in my life came through seasons I would never have chosen for myself. Looking back, I can see His hand in places where, at the time, all I could see was pain.

Jesus never promised us a comfortable life. In fact, He said, “In this world you will have trouble. But be brave! I have defeated the world” (John 16:33 NCV).

Notice He didn’t say you might have trouble. He said you will have trouble. The storm is coming. That’s why Jesus told the story of two men who built two houses. One built on sand and one built on rock. Then He said, “The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock” (Matthew 7:25 NCV).

What has always stood out to me is that both houses experienced the same storm. The difference wasn’t the wind, the rain, or the flood. The difference was the foundation.

One house stood and one collapsed. So let me ask you a question. Why would you want to fight the storm alone?

The diagnosis may come. The divorce may come. The betrayal may come. The bankruptcy may come. The funeral may come. The hardship may come. The storm is coming whether you believe in God or not. How ready are you? Do you really want to stand in that storm by yourself?

It’s often difficult to pray in the middle of a crisis, “Lord, what do You want me to learn from this?” Yet that may be one of the most important prayers we ever pray.

God really does have a purpose and a plan. He had Paul’s life mapped out before Paul ever got started, and He has a purpose for your life as well. The Bible teaches that God knows the beginning from the end. He sees what we cannot see.

He uses things we would never choose to shape us into who He wants us to become.

But there is an even bigger question than the storm you’re facing today. What will you do with Jesus Christ? Every one of us is moving toward eternity. There are only two destinations. Heaven is real, and Hell is real.

Jesus spoke about both because He wanted people to understand what is at stake. Those who place their faith in Christ receive forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and eternal life. Those who reject Christ remain separated from God and will face His judgment. Hell is not a popular topic in our culture, but it is a biblical reality.

The beautiful thing, and the most sobering thing, is that God allows us to choose. He does not force Himself on anyone.

I wonder what you’ll do with this story today.

As for me, I’ve already made my decision. “But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15 NCV). I’ve discovered that’s the safest place on the planet. Not the easiest place. Not the most comfortable place. But the safest place.

The storms still come. The pain still comes. The suffering still comes. Yet when your life is built on the Rock, you never face any of it alone. And when the final storm comes, the one that carries us from this life into eternity, you can face that one with confidence, knowing exactly where you are going.

GOD, please keep me close. Then, I know it will all be okay. Thank you for Jesus Christ and always having my best in your heart. IJNIP amen ♥️