How possible is it, that something which is a source of suffering and discomfort, can be of any benefit?
The message of pain to profit is one that’s likely to be resisted by some people who are going through challenges and pain especially of extreme nature because looking at it from the normal human perspective, there’s nothing attractive about pain and suffering.
Anyone who’s going through suffering would be eager for the load to be lifted and wouldn’t be bothered if there’s any good in it.
That’s normal. That’s being human because no one kneels down to requests for trials or suffering.
Rather, in our prayers, we pray for God to “lead us not into temptation”.
Yet, it is guaranteed that each of us would have to go through one or more forms of pain in our lifetime.
This goes to show that much as we despise pain and pray it doesn’t come to us, it is a fundamental part of human nature.
Even Christ in all His divinity had to go through pain in His human nature.
Pain or suffering can come in various forms.
It could be
- the loss of a job, parent, husband or child,
- having to be in a difficult marriage,
- having to deal with a problem or special needs child,
- having a difficult boss,
- being in an unfulfilling career or unemployed,
- childlessness or delayed marriage etc.
These are just examples of different types of pain and suffering we go through in the cause of life.
The question then is “Since it’s an established fact that pain is part of human nature, WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE BENEFITS OF PAIN AND HOW CAN I GAIN FROM IT?
Read on to find answers.
BENEFITS OF YOUR PAIN
- YOUR PAIN WILL HELP YOU FIND TRUE MEANING IN LIFE.
When you go through pain, the experience you gather matures you and changes your understanding and perspective to life.
You will come to understand what’s truly important in life.
Sometimes through the painful experience you’ve endured and overcome, you’re better able to appreciate what others in a similar situation are going through and you’ll realize that God took you through that path so you can start living more meaningfully by helping others journeying through a similar path.
- YOUR PAIN WILL REVEAL YOU
If there is one thing that has the ability to announce you to the world, it is the pain you’ve been through.
This is because your pain has the capacity to reveal your hidden potential.
You may never know what you are capable of doing or accomplishing until you go through an experience that makes you look back and wonder how you survived.
You have your God-given gifts and natural abilities but in most cases, these gifts are hidden and when you are able to handle your pain purposefully, you’ll discover these gifts and abilities.
Your gifts include the experience you acquire from your pain including the passion you developed from that experience.
These gifts and abilities are your seeds of greatness.
They are what make you unique.
They distinguish you from others.
They enrich and make you relevant and sought after if only you’re able to handle your suffering purposefully.
- YOUR PAIN WILL SHARPEN YOUR MIND AND TURN YOU INTO A CREATOR
When you go through pain and overcome it, it sharpens your mind and your senses.
You will become aware of the more important things in life and you will focus your mental energy and thoughts on how to accomplish them.
This process awakens your mind to think creatively and problem-solving.
This way, you’re able to think out ideas and bring out solutions to human problems.
Most inventions and innovations we enjoy today, are a result of people who purposefully went through pain, found the meaning in their pain and responded to suffering in a creative manner.
It was Kahlil Gibran who said that “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars”.
2 STEPS TO GAINING FROM YOUR PAIN
- ADOPT THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
Attitude is everything.
Your attitude and disposition in your season of pain determine whether you will gain or lose from it.
The right attitude will come when you accept that no matter how ugly that situation is, things don’t happen to you; they happen for you.
The Bible tells us that everything works together for our good meaning that, as painful as your suffering is, it will ultimately add up for your good if you decide to find the meaning in it.
Try to find the meaning in your pain because until you see the purpose in your pain, it will remain painful.
It is those who have nothing to live for that get overshadowed by their pain and that’s why you should search for the meaning in any frustrating situation.
Prayer is the key in all of these.
Ask God to open your eyes to see the meaning in your discomforting circumstance.
The fact is that there’s a direct relationship between pain and purpose and like Rick Joyner said “If your life is always easy, it is because you are called to a lesser purpose”.
One thing you need to have at the back of your mind is something I heard Tony Robbins say recently and I quote “Good times create weak people while Bad times create strong people and strong people create great times.”
So, consciously embrace the fact that your current challenge will not destroy you, rather, it will reveal your strength and your purpose if only you develop the right disposition towards it.
Victor Frankl, was in 4 Nazi death camps, yet he survived the holocaust and he attributed his survival to his “ability to find a reason for life-threatening suffering he was going through then.”
While in those death camps, he saw life beyond the camps and though his family members died, he survived because he found the meaning in his suffering and saw the reason to live.
And in his book, he said “Suffering ceases to be suffering in some way, the moment it finds a meaning.”
You must determine to outlive your suffering.
- Determine what to do with your pain.
This is purely a matter of choice because you can choose to gain or lose from your challenge but my advice would be for you not to waste your pain.
As humans, pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.
Choose to learn all you can from your pain and then channel the experience to something that’s beneficial to others.
Your greatest pain gifts you with a rich experience with which you can help others going through similar situations.
The loss of a dear one can gift you with an experience with which you can comfort and counsel others who are journeying through the same path.
A long struggle with a difficult ailment can gift you the experience and passion to provide medical research or support to other patients.
Caring for a special needs child can gift you with the passion to create a community to support other parents with special needs kids like yours.
Wrapping it up, I’ll say that, there is purpose hidden in your pain and when you discover and pursue it, your suffering gives way and gradually dissolves, while your life takes on a new meaning and transitions into a life of significance and happiness.
This way, you’re able to leave behind a rich legacy of love and impact.
