Any woman who has experienced childbirth understands. Any helpless man who has witnessed childbirth, like me (twice), gets it to a degree. That’s why the Bible uses the experience as a metaphor of our lives.
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
The whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves . . . groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. —Romans 8:22–23
We would all love to have an emotional epidural to where we didn’t feel the pain of life. But that won’t happen.
God doesn’t give us a way to avoid the hurt.
But He does tell us what to think so we can make it through the struggle.
Your Life in Christ – It’s Supposed to Hurt
Pain is universal in that the whole creation groans and suffers.
- That includes you.
- That includes the person on the far side of the globe.
- Everybody hurts.
Placing your faith in Jesus Christ doesn’t remove the pain of life. That’s a lie many would have you believe. Your life in Christ includes hurt.
Faith isn’t an epidural. It’s a midwife who stands next to me saying, ‘Push. It’s supposed to hurt.’ —Brené Brown
Instead, faith gives you the blessing of perspective and the promise of hope.
The Perspective that Hope Brings
The key to pressing on in spite of our pain is perspective.
Like childbirth, our pain is intense. But it is also temporary.
- For a new mother, the pain is hard up to a point—until the baby comes.
- The coming of a person for a lifetime stops the pain of childbirth that lasted only for hours.
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
Likewise, the severe pain of this life, for the Christian, concludes when The Person comes. Paul writes: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).
That means the worst pain you have ever felt in your life in Christ cannot compare with the joy of the glories of heaven.
It’s all about the perspective that hope brings.
Hurt Today and Gone Tomorrow
Even your life in Christ hurts. It’s supposed to hurt.
- Today we get sick and suffer debilitating illnesses.
- Today people hurt us (and we hurt others).
- Today our pain is so intense we wonder how it could ever be removed.
Somehow, hurt is part of the God’s childbirth process that shapes and fashions us for His glory—and helps to give new life to others as well. But remember, in the timeline of eternity your hurt today can’t compare to the joy you’ll have tomorrow.
Keep going. Keep pushing. You’re going to make it.
A Person is coming. And He’s coming for you.
Tell me what you think: What helps you keep going in spite of the hurt? To leave a comment, just click here.
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This post is adapted from Wayne’s book, Waiting on God: What to Do When God Does Nothing.
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