Purpose in Pain

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

We've all been there. Some sort of trial or hurt impacts our lives. We all have bruised and scarred hearts, tattered and worn from the trials and aches of life. No matter how "little" some struggles may seem, if they leave us emotionally hurt, or have been a burden of stress, sorrow, fear, or pain--these struggles have carved their marks into our hearts. We all have our battles, our insecurities, our past wounds that still ache from time to time or leave us guarded or hardened in some way.

Then someone else is handed a similar situation or pain, and our hearts ache with sympathy. We can taste even the smallest portion of their hurt because we remember those dark days when we faced it ourselves. Maybe it wasn't that long ago, maybe we're still dealing with it now, or maybe the memory has faded so that we have a dim memory of the suffering. Either way, we know enough to want to reach out and encourage that person or just be there for them. We remember what comforted or strengthened us and we try to build our friend up through that knowledge. We remember how we wrestled through the problem and came out on the other side, even though it seemed like a battle that would never end, and we remind them that life will get better. They will heal.

Most importantly, we can turn to how God comforted us. We remember how He held us through the dark days or pain, strengthened us when we were weak, guided us when we were lost, encouraged us when we were afraid, and loved us when we were alone. We remember the hope. When we offer help to our friends, our words have deeper meaning and strength because they know that we have been victorious over this situation they are now trudging through.

It's such a blessing and encouragement to know that not only does God comfort us when we are hurting, but that He also equips us to comfort and encourage those around us in the process. Even if we can't understand why we are facing what we are facing, there is one sure, immediate purpose to our pain. To comfort others is to comfort ourselves, too, as our focus shifts from our own trials to others'. What a privilege to be the loving arms, the encouraging words, the friendly smile, or the listening ear to someone when that person needs it most.