Don't Waste Your Pain

Our health cannot be our treasure! If our hope is in getting better or getting over this we need to change our focus. The Lord needs to be our treasure!
When we are going through pain of any kind our first inclination is to pray, "Lord get me out of this! Heal me! Take this pain away!"
But God lovingly may re-directs our focus...
When I was diagnosed 10 years ago with Trigeminal Neuralgia I was not going to accept defeat as I saw it! My dreams of getting my Master's degree and having a family and just enjoying life were all that mattered. I couldn't see how pain would become the means that God used to take my focus off of this world and all that allured me, to a life of constant pain but closeness with my Lord and with His people.
He promised me He would never leave me or forsake me. (Deut 31:6b)
He promised me that He was working out all things for His glory and my good. (Rom 8:28)
He promised me that His grace is sufficient for me and that His power is made perfect in my weakness. (2 Cor 12:9)
I started to believe He had something way better for me than health.
If we count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as our Lord, we will have everything we will need for this life and the life to come. (Phil 3:7)
Don't let your treasure be found where moth and rust destroy: in things, in people, in titles, in power, in all things of this world. Let your treasure be in Christ alone. Stop feasting on this world. You will be too full for the things of the Lord.
Feast on Him!
In your pain,
in your weakness,
trust Him!
He is doing amazing, beautiful things in your life.

The best thing to happen to you...Hmm
 I bet you are thinking I am going to say:

a new job

a great spouse

obedient kids

ideal vacation

money in the bank

 but, no, none of these are what I want to talk about today.
 The best thing to happen to you is a trial. Yes I said it, a TRIAL.
 What???
 Why would a trial be the best thing to happen to you?

James tells us in chapter 1:2
           "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,"

You may say, "Well that's easy for James to say! He doesn't have my pain. If he did, he wouldn't say to count it ALL joy." 

But James shows us an amazing treasure if we could understand it.

You see, our faith isn't proven until we face a trial. When things are going really well our faith isn't tested. In fact, when things are going well in life we hardly go to the Lord. We feel we are doing a pretty good job, but then....when difficulty comes we go running to God.

"Please God take this problem from me! I can't do it anymore. I need you!"

WOW...I hope you see the error in this conversation. God is not our genie. He doesn't show up on the scene to put out the fire. 

He is: 
Almighty God
Prince of Peace
Our Savior
King of Kings
The First and the Last 

When a trial comes, how do we react? Do we go to God, seeking HIM rather than relief? Can you truly say you trust the Lord whether you are in pain or not? How is your prayer life when your pain is gone? I want you to really think through these questions today. This tells a lot about what you truly believe. 

You and I are standing on a road we didn't plan...

But God has it all planned out. He is in complete control and that should give you so much peace! Nothing that happens to you is outside His control. Amen. So in your pain, in your trial, thank Him! He is growing you and showing you your dependence on the Lord.

Proverbs 16:9

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Ouch! On Christmas I burned my right hand on the stove. It really hurt! We've all been there. Fire is very beautiful but...oh how it can burn. This fire that burns so hot is also so great in refining...We can put gold and silver into the fire to refine it, to take out the impurities and make it more pure. In comparison the Bible describes us being refined in the fire (Psalm 66:10). God purposely places us, His dearly loved children, in the fire of affliction, pain, despair...etc. Why? What could be His purpose? Well if we look at what fire does to gold we see the Master's purpose-it refines us, makes us more like Him, less like ourselves and our sinful nature. How does it do that exactly?
I'm sure you can attest to times in your life, maybe recently, that you have been in terrible pain, like the affliction will never end. You may have continually gone to the Lord, seeking comfort. You see, God may want to wake you up out of your complacency! It may have been awhile since you noticed the Lord or prayed to Him. Getting our eyes off of ourselves and onto Christ is a huge reason for the refinement. Zechariah 13:9 answers this:

Below is a great interview between John Piper and a dad who had a son born to him and his wife that was blind and how they were able to see God's purpose in and through their son
HERE