When God Wants To Meet Us In Our Pain (Part II)

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1b-3

Last week we opened the door to the idea of God meeting us in our pain. If you want to take a quick jump back check out the article here:

In case you’re ready to move forward, buckle up buttercup, cause here we go!…. This past season has included a lot of heart ache for me, so what I am sharing comes from a tender place of learning in a difficult season. This isn’t a “look at me do this perfectly post” this is a “maybe some of my messy will help encourage you in yours”– hope that makes sense. About a year ago our landlord sold our house and gave us 60 days to leave. I don’t know why, but the sudden shift and loss opened a door in my heart that caused and avalanche of pain to come forth. After we moved, a world of change was ushered in where we encountered a huge amount of challenge and disappointment. In the same season we experienced a loss of job, loss of income, our our kids went through massive grief…..our family felt unsettled….and after all that, a flea infestation. We can ask the question “why do bad things happen to God’s people?” All. day. long……but I think there’s something we can miss in the process of our challenges if we’re only trying to get out of the pain. Our fellowship with Him IN suffering leads to joy. (Yup! We know him better, and open ourselves up to greater joy because, (not in spite) of our suffering)

Let’s take a look at Jesus and remember 3 key things from Hebrews 12 here: 

1. Jesus himself suffered on the cross
2. Jesus put joy before him in order to endure the cross
3. His reward from suffering gave him a place of honor (the right hand of God) and the gift of being close to the Father

Suffering is not unbiblical, wrong or sin. If it was, Jesus would not have suffered. It doesn’t mean you’re bad, and you messed up. (Although who hasn’t made stupid mistakes and learned from the consequences, ammiright?!?) Suffering opens us up to meeting with Jesus in our pain, and allows us to have fellowship with him in our suffering. 

Here’s the thing, our pain is not without purpose because even Jesus endured suffering……but in his pain he set something invaluable before him, something that made the pain endurable- he set joy before him.

Joy helped him to endure the cross, scorn its shame, and then give him the best seat in the house- at the right hand of the father. 

What was his joy? We are.

So what is our joy in our suffering? He is. 

There has to be a purpose to our suffering or else God wouldn’t have us go through it. God is not a masochist. When we suffer we are humbled, we are yielded and God is able to speak to us, mold us and use us in a way that nothing else allows. He wants us to be drawn to him so that we have fellowship with him in our pain, and our relationship with him flourishes in the fallout. We become yielded in a way that is unlike anything else. Even though there is opposition, there is also opportunity to know him, draw near to him, become like Jesus, and develop a closer proximity to the Father. 

Cards on the table: the temptation is there to numb, pacify and ignore pain. Sometimes we give in, and sometimes we don’t. (My hand is up! I am guilty of this here too friends!) But, what if the way to meet with, and grow deeper in God is actually the way through? The truth is, we aren’t abandoned in our pain. We can walk right smack into the middle of it- and right there in the midst of our our sorrow and suffering we have the opportunity to meet with and know Jesus more BECAUSE we have suffered. Knowing him in the middle of the mess means that there is redemption in our pain not just because we have experienced it. 

So let me close with this question to ponder (I’m processing this too, sweet friend): what if the whole point of what we go through is that we actually learn to flourish in our pain, because Jesus redeems it? What if the end result is that we come out the other side stronger, and more whole because of what we have endured and because of what he has taken us through? What if there is beauty in the middle of it, AND beauty on the other side of it too? Only the one who knows our pain could so throughly redeem it, and I am trusting for all of us that he will.

You are so loved,

Joy