The positive side of pain
But to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment, which acts as Satan’s messenger to beat me and keep me from being proud. Three times I prayed to the Lord about this and asked him to take it away. But his answer was: ‘My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.’ I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me. (verses 7-9)
It’s an age-old question: if God loves us, why does he allow us to suffer? Suffering, of course, is part of the legacy of human rebellion against God. In fact, a lot of our pain is self-inflicted or is caused by other people. If God wanted to eliminate the cause of our pain, he would have to do away with us. People and pain go together in a continuing cycle of suffering.
The good news, however, is that God, in his love for us, uses pain for our good. Paul is the perfect example of this. Even though Paul had given himself completely to the Lord, God allowed him to have a painful ailment. Paul wanted it removed, but when God didn’t heal him, he had the wisdom to see that the weaker he was, the greater God’s power was in his life.
Sometimes God chooses to remove our suffering. Sometimes he uses it to keep us as his own.
Lord, when you allow me to suffer, give me the faith and wisdom to accept it through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. Amen.
by Richard Hauser, in ‘Refreshment for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2003)
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