The question of suffering is one of the most sincere and present concerns of the human experience. Suffering and pain are, quite simply, realities of life. Nearly everyday is met with some trouble or another that leaves us beaten, tangled, and, at the very least, wondering about what it all means. But does suffering have meaning? Is there purpose to pain? Coming to grips with this discussion is not merely a "thought-experiment" but it is an intensely experiential, profoundly practical endeavor.
The intro to this conversation may be best begun at the inverse, pleasure. Suffering and pain, being contrary to these things, denies pleasure and renders the human disabled. But while pleasure is often used for the purpose of covering up suffering and masking pain, the purpose of suffering is something deeper, something more important: growth.
Suffering is the fertile ground of character's growth. It is through the tension that growth and blessing is found upon that tension's release. Consider labor: a exceedingly painful activity that leads to the beautiful blessing of an infant. This is such a direct example of what is at hand: suffering grows the human.
Think of a pearl. It is created when the pearl oyster takes into its mouth grains of sand. Through an intense process of pressing and coating, the sand it transformed into a pearl. I submit that this transformation is anything if not painful, a long-suffering process that rewards with a pearl. This is an analogy of the purpose of suffering in our own lives. This should be a source of comfort in times of distress, always remembering that God has purposes for us in our suffering. Let us never lose sight of this reality!
No comments:
Post a Comment