Nancy Redmond
Purpose in the Pain
The one thing Jesus did not promise us is that we would live a life trouble free. Instead He said in this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer because He has overcome the world (paraphrase John 16:33). So what do we do when trouble comes?
Whenever Jesus was confronted by satan He spoke the word saying “ it is written”. There is an answer or solution in the word of God for everything we will ever encounter in life. Some trouble is for our making. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 Paul was afflicted by what the bible refers to as a thorn in his side. He prayed for God to remove it but the Lord answered “my grace is sufficient for you because my strength is perfected in your weakness.
The author tells us that God uses trouble to develop character in us. Our character should portray Jesus. I used to always say how can you know what God can do if you never have a problem for Him to solve. Some of the storms we encounter He will immediately deliver us from and others we are to endure. It’s in the endurance that our character develops. We can mumble, grumble and complain like the children of Israel and remain in the trial much longer that originally intended or we can allow God’s grace to sustain us. Our lives have purpose and our trouble is designed to bring us into that purpose.
Every thing we go through is not the work of satan and his imps. Some storms we cause ourselves because of the choices and decisions we make. This is where Romans 8: 28-29 takes effect. Although everything is not good God has a way of making something good come from it. Of course no one likes to go through anything adverse but we must remember that it is a part of life. The consolation a Christian has in comparison to a sinner is we have the peace of Christ during the times of storms. If only we would start to enjoy the full benefits of being a joint heir with Christ.
One thing that I have learned is in every trial my faith grows. In doing so I also learned that everything really does work for your good. I have taken this scripture as my foundational scripture and when problems occur I tell myself although I may not see it now I know that God has a purpose for this.
Verse to Remember: "And we know that that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:29 (NIV)
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