Romans 8:28, “And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and PURPOSE.” (AMP)
It’s always wonderful when you’re going through something painful to have someone able to identify with your pain, because they’ve sat where you’re now sitting. But then there are also those times when people (genuinely meaning no harm, but making a statement that is not so true) will say words something like this when we're going through a hard time, "Oh, I understand how you feel." And if you’re anything like me, you may have muttered under your breath, "No you don't."
And one situation in which those words should probably never be spoken, are a man to a woman...in labor!
Now, my friend Bernard has been through labor with his wife three times, and still he cannot say he understands how she felt. Labor is easier for some women than others I understand, but having a baby is not easy for anybody. You see, Bernard still remembers vividly their first time around the maternity track. His wife's increasingly frequent contractions and the trip to the hospital, and then the hours of intensifying pain, and then the last most intense pains of all. And suddenly, a baby boy! Now, it’s easy for him to say the following, but only because he knows his wife would agree…it was a painful process with a glorious result! And you know what, the result has lasted a lot longer than the pain did!
Which brings us to Romans chapter 8. Here we're going to meet a man with the credentials to talk about pain and hard times. Just take a brief look at his credentials for the well-earned degree in persevering through pain to make it to purpose!
1 Corinthians 11:23-29, “I’ve worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death’s door time after time. I’ve been flogged five times with the Jews’ thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I’ve been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I’ve had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I’ve been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I’ve known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather. And that’s not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches…” (MSG)
You see, when you have someone who can attest to pain like this, you can be encouraged by almost anything they have to say! Because they’ve been through the worst of it, and can still say they’ve survived the pain, and have reaped the benefits of purpose!
Which is why it’s worth listening in to Paul in Romans 8 where he talks about "our present sufferings." And he even speaks symbolically of this world "groaning as if in the pains of childbirth." And then later on in the chapter he mentions trouble, hardship, famine, sword, and then he says this, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." But, how can that be with all the worst pain in life going on right now? However, giving the fact that Paul has survived some of the worst pain imaginable, let’s listen to him a little further.
The reality is, it all goes back to a God-given perspective on the pain of your life. And the beginning of that perspective can be found in Romans 8:28 he says, "And we know that all things are working together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to God's purpose."
So, what's the good in the pain? Well, it continues, "For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son." (verse 29) In other words, the good that comes out of the pain is to make you what this world needs so desperately; someone who is more like Jesus. After all, pain is the best teacher in learning to be more like Christ. Pain often teaches us how to trust God even when everyone walks away and leaves us deserted; pain teaches us that even the ones we trusted most or did the most for, can still turn their backs on us; pain teaches us that fulfilling the will of God for our lives is not an easy task; pain teaches us that we can love God, and still be hit with adversity on every side. Jesus endured pain, and so we must do the same if we’re to reflect His image and likeness.
Now, even though pain is a great teacher, let’s be honest, God doesn't send all the pain; some of it He allows because of the choices and consequences of our own doing. But the encouragement to be found even in that is this: Pain can't come to you unless your Heavenly Father okay’s it. And how does God decide what He will allow to come into your life? Anything that fulfills His purpose in shaping you to look like, speak like, behave and live like His Son, is worth the pain to produce!
Let’s look at Romans 8:22-28, in the Message Bible translation, “All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” (MSG)
And what’s my happy part in that? “…That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy…”
Pain (especially labor pain) does not ever feel good! But in the end, the joy of physically holding our expectation makes it all worth-while. And sometimes honestly, I think many of us can even tolerate the pain, but for some of us, it’s the pain plus the waiting that makes it worse!
Personal Testimony: I had my oldest daughter when I turned 17 years old. A teenage mom who had no idea what her little body was about to experience. And yet, it wasn’t just the pain that made it difficult, it was the waiting. You see, I went into labor on Tuesday morning at 3:21am. I was sweating, crying, in pain, bent over, pacing, rocking, laying down, getting up…it was a nightmare! Finally, my dad took me and my mom to the hospital. Now, this is where you’re supposed to get all excited because what you’ve been expectantly waiting for should be about to arrive! But that was not my case! My daughter from birth until now at 30 years of age, has not changed one bit. She still does things in her own timing (whether you like it or not)! You will wait until she’s good and ready! So I’ve changed clothes, been examined, and I’m ready to drop this load, only to be told by the doctor I wasn’t dilating! And after spending the whole day and night at the hospital, you guess it, they sent me home! Well, the very next morning, just hours later, my water broke! The pains were harder, and so I cried even harder! Back to the hospital we go! And AGAIN, she’s not ready! Wednesday, they sent me back up, AGAIN! Finally, on Thursday Morning at 4:07 am, my bundle of joy decides it’s a good day to make an appearance! I was ready 48 hours ago! However, she was not! The labor was excruciating! But in reality, the pain may have been 48 hours, but my joyful purpose that my pain produced has been hanging around for 30 years and counting! My purpose outlasted my pain, and it was all worth it! It took 48 hours of pain, but I’ve been enjoying what the pain produced for 30 years!
Which is why I better understand Paul when he said, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed…” (vs. 18)
My consistent experience has been that the hardest things I've gone through have been God's most powerful tools in my life: faith, humility, compassion, mercy, learning the power of prayer, closeness to Jesus. They have been the blessed results of pain that made me know and trust God as never before. And like the pain of my daughter's arrival, I’ve enjoyed the result a lot longer than I had to endure the pain.
Because God's agenda in our lives is eternity, not just seventy years. The payoff will always be much greater than the pain. You may be in a hurting time right now and you don't have a choice. But it really matters what you focus on. If you focus on the pain you're going to become bitter and self-focused, and burned out, and worn out, and negative. But if you focus on how God can use this pain to make you more like Jesus, you'll have the baby that the pain is supposed to give you. The tragedy will be if you get the pain but you miss the point. I've enjoyed my daughter for many years now (3 decades in fact). Which is not a bad payoff for a relatively few hours of a painful process.
If you're hurting today, remember that your loving Father, who sent His Son to die in your place, is using your hurt to bring about a beautiful result, which you will be enjoying long after the painful process is a distant memory.
Believe me, I know, the pain plus the wait sometimes can feel like more than you can bear! But neither God nor His Word is a lie: 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.” (MSG)
You will come through it! You are carrying it because you can! So don’t become weary and worn out, keep your hope fresh and your faith on fire; keep trusting God and following His directive for your life. And even when the directions guide you through pain, know that He’s taking you through it, not leaving you in it. And when you come out of it, you will have a precious gift to remind you that it was all worth the wait and pain! When the pain hits, keep pushing, purpose will be produced, and it will outlast the process time!
Much Love, Dr.Shermaine #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell
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