The Purpose of Pain

“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.” Hebrews 12:7

Discipline. The very word causes us to squirm. Memories of extra chores, extra-long weekends (due to grounding and restriction), and the board of education being firmly applied to the seat of learning fill our minds. When we were younger, these methods seemed mean—barbaric practices contrived by parents who didn’t understand, but now that most of us have kids of our own, Mom and Dad make a lot more sense, and we find ourselves repeating the same tried and true routines.

Discipline. Though the definition does encompass the punishment which initially comes to mind, the meaning in this verse is much broader and better. Since the root word is disciple or learner, it follows that discipline labels the category of all situations and experiences in which we learn more about ourselves and our God. And rarely are these times easy. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful”(Heb. 12:11).

The pain usually arrives in three ways. First, through the consequences of our own failures. The seeds of sin produce briars not blooms, and though God grace shields us from many well-deserved cuts and scratches, He often lets us feel the ache to teach us and to keep us from repeating our wrong. Occasionally our suffering comes from the choices of others. Their decisions cause distress as we are rejected, exploited, and disappointed. And sometimes God’s sovereignty allows sorrow and struggle which do not result from what someone has done but whose reason is what God is doing—in us and through us.

So how do we handle hurt and hard times?

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline”(Heb. 12:5). Don’t blow it off and treat it as nothing, for it really is something. Be serious about the situation and seek to learn all you can while living through it. On the other hand, “Do not lose heart when [God] rebukes you”(Heb. 12:5). Don’t let your grief get you down and make you think that you are no good and worth nothing, for the very fact that that you are suffering means that you are worth so much to Someone. “God is treating you as sons…because the Lord disciplines those he loves(Heb. 12:7,6). God loves you enough to let you feel the pain and sense the struggle—not because He is cruel or uncaring—but because the pain has a purpose. “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it”(Heb. 12:10-11). God is fixing us for the future. The hardship you are enduring is making your heart more holy, your life more pure, and your spirit more peaceful. Through the pain, you learn of God’s unfailing love and unending grace, and when the next difficulty comes, you will have more faith to face it and more peace as you persevere.

Time-outs and tough times aren’t easy, but they’re effective. Let the pain remind you that you are loved by a God who is working for your good.