“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
(Revelation 21:4)
Pain comes in many forms
When you’re in the middle of pain, it can feel overwhelming, even defeating. You may find yourself feeling sorry for yourself or just wanting to be left alone to handle it on your own. Sometimes, all you long for is comfort.
Pain comes in many forms:
- Physical pain
- Emotional pain
No matter which kind you’re facing, pain changes you. It can shift the way you think, feel, and act. As Christians, we know that suffering is something we will encounter in this world. There’s no escaping it. Everyone, at some point, will experience pain—no one is exempt.
Job as our example
Look at Job, for example. A man righteous in God’s sight, yet he endured great personal suffering. But he didn’t give up. Even more profound is Jesus’ example—He endured unimaginable suffering on the cross.
Why did they press on? I believe for two different reasons:
- For Job, his faith reminded him that worshiping God isn’t based on circumstances. Whether in blessing or in torment, Job understood that God remains worthy of our praise. Pain and suffering may not be God’s desire for us, but when He allows it, we must still worship Him because, in the end, Jesus has already declared, “It is finished.” One day, we will dwell in a place free from the sin and evil that causes pain.
- For Jesus, He endured because He knew what His suffering would achieve—salvation for all who believe, and peace that surpasses understanding, even in the midst of pain.
Is it easy to worship, love, care, or be joyful when you’re in pain? Of course not. But something powerful happens when we accept that pain is part of this life, yet nothing can separate us from God’s love.
In our suffering, it’s easy to focus only on the pain and forget about the blessings still around us. But take a moment to think about what God is giving you, even through hardship:
A warm bed
- A roof over your head
- Food on the table
- Family and friends
- A loving church community
- The gift of breathing, seeing, hearing, tasting…
The list of blessings goes on. Shifting your focus from pain to gratitude doesn’t make the pain disappear, but it changes your perspective. Focusing on what you have, rather than what’s hurting you, brings a new sense of peace.
This brings me to 2 Corinthians 1:4: “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
In suffering, we encounter God in a deeply intimate way. It shapes us to comfort others with genuine compassion, having walked through pain ourselves. Think about it: who can better offer help to someone struggling than someone who has already faced and overcome similar struggles?
God is so, so good!
If you are suffering right now—emotionally, spiritually, or physically—know that God is with you. He gave us Jesus so that one day, all pain and suffering will be gone forever.
We live in this world, but we don’t belong to it. We are God’s children, and through every trial, we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Walk with the Holy Spirit daily, trusting that even in your pain, you are never alone.
Let’s run this race together, encouraging one another along the way. Come, Lord Jesus, come!
