The Purpose of Pain

My knee starts hurting and I have to take a break from jogging. My foot aches and I need to buy arch supports and lower heels. My blood pressure is high and I need to relax more. Seems like it's always something these days. Can you relate?

Pain gets my attention for sure. When birthing my two sons, there was no way I was going to "tough it out". "Give me some pain medicine," I said clutching my doctor's arm when those contractions hit their crescendo. I do not like pain.

Pain comes in different forms: physical, emotional, mental. Perhaps it is a broken bone, a wounded relationship or a fractured thought pattern.

But most pain has a purpose - to get my attention and to teach me something. Pain slows me down and gets me to focus on the problem area. It interupts my daily activities and changes my priorities. If seen from this perspective, pain can be a blessing. It is a warning sign that something is wrong and needs attention.

Of course, I can always ignore the warning signs and carry on along my merry way, but that is usuallly not wise. Proverbs 27:12 (NLT)says "The prudent forsees danger and takes precautions, but the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

So it all depends on how we view our pain. We can moan and complain or we can do something about it. I like to say "Don'waste the pain - learn from it." And finally, pain gives us compassion for others. Everyone is hurting in some way and when we hurt, we are able to empathize more with what others are going through.

If you're going through a painful situation right now, I hope this encourages you to persevere and look for the good. Do leave me a comment or pass this on to a friend in need.

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel