The Un-Depraved Act of Choosing Pain

As strange as it sounds, we’ll never find the life God wants for us by avoiding pain. The life of spiritual

liberty comes instead by choosing to do right, regardless of the pain. Choosing to do right is no indication of

having done wrong; rather, it is, in fact, the expression of a right response to a wrong.

Even pain has its place. Without the resistance of a barbell, a muscle stays flabby. Without the resistance

of gravity, a car can't speed along the ground or, for that matter, stop. In the same way, only by facing the

resistance in our lives can we grow and move forward.

Many people never see God working in their lives because they never hang in there long enough for God

to show his power. If we shy away from the painful events we find along our way when life gets hard, our

response may be that we are saving ourselves pain. Trapped in the corner we paint ourselves into, we search for

another place without pain―one we’ll never find. It’s a vicious cycle. When we take the path of least

resistance, we will find ourselves running from hither to yon, not having reached the destiny of God’s calling,

merely racking up miles on the odometer of life trying to avoid pain. But God sends us back so that we can face

the challenge, discover his sufficiency, and find the life he wants for us.

Pain and drain work in concert together. One follows the other. Pain is tough because of the drain of

strength it takes from you. Whatever your situation―you may have been hurt so deeply that there seems no

hope for recovery. The actions that brought the pain will have also drained something from you.

Sometimes, we refuse to acknowledge the hurt, either willfully or unintentionally, because it represents

the one part of the situation we think we can control. But God has given us methods to deal with pain and hurt.

We seek healing. We cut our finger while paring an apple. We neither give up eating apples nor refuse to use a

knife again. We forgive. To not do this gives us more misery than anyone else. With good reason, the Bible

commands us, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.”

The prophetic voice of Isaiah is still strong and clear today. Listen: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon

me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the

brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To

proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To

appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give [God is a giver] unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for

mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of

the LORD, that he might be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3) 

The wounds we have suffered at the hands of others hurt us deeply, but God can heal those wounds

through forgiveness and time. And yes, there are bandaids. Usually, these are to shield and hygienically protect

the area of injury. That is good sense, as well as Biblical. According to the prophecy of Isaiah, the Messiah

came to “bind up the brokenhearted.” I’ll write that again: God can heal. He has in the past, and He can for you.

Francis Mason

Pastor Mason