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Reflections

Purity, Purpose, and Pain

It seemed like any other Sunday morning—breakfast, shower, hurrying to get ready for church. But while I was dressing, suddenly I fell sideways, hitting the bed and sliding to the floor. I tried to get up, but the room began whirling.

My husband called the doctor, who diagnosed a simple ear infection which destroyed my equilibrium. With help, I was soon walking again…for a while. Then, as a result of the fall, back problems started. When the pain became so intense I could not walk, I went for treatment. For about five weeks, I was overwhelmed with pain.

This experience happened several years ago, but I learned some things then that have helped me relate to people in pain.

Pain distorts reality. My physical pain consumed my thoughts. Like a spoiled child, it demanded all of my attention. My life centered on the pain, so nothing else seemed real. Not until the pain was gone did my life get in focus again.

Knowing this helps me understand persons in great need. It is hard to listen to someone talk about God when you are hungry. It is hard to understand a God who loves when you have never known human love. To preach the gospel, we have to reach through the pain.

Pain destroys ambition. When I feel well, my days are planned. If the “to do” list is not written down, it is at least in my head. But planning and goal-setting seemed unimportant the weeks following my fall. Nothing was as important as alleviating my pain.

Many people deal daily with hurts. Achieving goals is not as significant as alleviating suffering, which may explain why they are not interested in our church’s agendas. Dealing with their problems may be all they can handle.

Pain reveals character. Anger, self-pity, self-centeredness, doubt, fear, impatience, and all their ugly cousins surfaced in my life in the weeks I dealt with back pain. I did not realize the repulsiveness of my soul until pain tore off my façade.

I had to ask myself, Am I angry because of the pain or does unresolved anger live in the dark crevices of my soul? Did the pain produce the anger or reveal it? I’m afraid it was the latter—which brought more pain because I want to feel good about myself.

Pain can bring me closer to God. Job, David, and Paul all agreed that affliction can have positive results in our lives. Job said the afflicted person should be happy because God would bind up the wounds (Job 5:17,18). David said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word” (Psalm 119:67, NIV).

Paul compared outward suffering to inward joy, and present affliction to future glory (Hebrews 12:11). Pain can cause us to draw closer to God and His Word.

Pain can produce fruit in our lives. The writer to the Hebrews said, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11, NIV).

During the time of my back trouble I prayed, “Lord help me learn the lessons of pain. I really do not want to take this course over again.” He has been merciful, and I have known very little suffering—just enough to know that pain can have purpose and produce purity in our lives.

Points to Ponder:

Pain comes in many forms—physical, emotional, relational or financial. We can have pain in our personal lives, or share the pain of those close to us.

What lessons are you learning from your personal pain? How are you relating to those around you who may be suffering? Have you discovered the wonderful presence of the Lord in the midst of pain?

PEGGY MUSGROVE is a licensed Assemblies of God minister. She is also a speaker, freelance writer, author and prayer group leader. Her latest book, Musings of a Maraschino Cherry was released in 2004.. You can visit her at www.musgroveville.com.

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