Pain is our Teacher

I read a great quote the other day by a South Korean General named Choi Hong Hi, it went like this, “Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to go to his class.”  I really contemplated it for a bit. He is right! We do just about everything we can do to keep from going to his class. Think of all the machinations that we come up with to skip the class of pain…..! It is really amazing when you think about it. We have developed an entire industry out of it. We will go to great lengths to avoid having to attend the class of pain.

What kind of pain am I talking about. It would be simple enough if I was just talking about physical pain, but it goes much deeper than that. I woke up with strep throat this morning. It hurts. I found myself laying in bed praying to God to spare me the pain. I had so many other things that I needed to do and this would be a distraction. I simply did not have time for the inconvenience of pain in my life today. Funny thing though, as I was driving back from the doctors office I found myself humbled by the need for a healer; humbled by the fact that I am really only one heart beat away from death on any given day. I was reminded of a lesson I learned as a young second lieutenant in the US Cavalry years ago. “pain is my friend, it is what let’s me know I am still alive.” Get that. Pain is what let’s us know we are still alive. How counter that runs to our understanding of pain.

I am probably the worst person in the world to write a blog posting on pain. I have pretty much lived a life free of pain, especially in comparison to others. I wake up daily feeling good. But how many lessons have I missed in life because of my lack of pain. Sounds kind of masochistic I know, that that does come to my mind from time to time. I have even had thoughts that maybe I experience so little pain because I simply do not have the character to handle it.

When I look at many of the strong people I know, it becomes quite obvious that their strength was forged in the fires of pain. I know few if any people who really have strong character who have not had to go thru great pain in life. To go thru intense pain and come out stronger is an incredible act of mercy and grace on God’s behalf.

Many of us who seem to have little pain in life only know little strength of character. Am I advocating going out and conducting self inflicting pain on your self? Heaven forbid NO. But what I am advocating is…. praying to our Father for the strength of character that only comes thru pain, asking for His strength to endure, and the patience for pain to work its supernatural work in us so that we might walk with the giants of old in faith, in strength of character, and in true grace.

In closing ponder these scripture passages and allow them to challenge your understanding of how our Father,  who loves us dearly, understands pain.

Job 5:18 “For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal.” 

Job 6:10 “But it is still my consolation, And I rejoice in unsparing pain, That I have not denied the words of the Holy One.”

Rev. 21:4 ”…and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”  

For certain this will not always be so. One day all pain will cease. But for now, it seems that Pain is your friend, it is what let’s you know you are still alive. So live then!