Pain Can Lead to Holliness

There are three basic explanations that I always tell myself when it comes to why there is evil in the world. Of course we all often ask ourselves, why does a good and all powerful God allow evil? The first comforting concept for me is the verse that "God's ways are higher than our ways." Therefore, we don't understand everything the way God does because our minds are limited and finite. We can't see the whole picture. It helps to think that what we perceive to be bad, may not actually be bad. In the end what we think is bad, might actually turn out to be good. For example, hindsight is 20/20. You can look back on your life and thank God that you didn't marry certain people that you thought you wanted to. God sees the whole picture, we don't.

The second verse I always like to think about is that "God works all things together for the good of those who love Him." So something may seem bad for a time, but God promises to work it out for good somehow. Maybe the pain you went through or are going through will help you to be more compassionate and sympathetic toward someone else going through the same pain or any pain. As Paul says, we can comfort others with the comfort we ourselves received from God.

The third thing that I try to remember is that pain in our lives can lead to us becoming more holy people. Paul says in Romans 5:4, "We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope." When we go through hard times, our character is improved. It seems an odd concept that we can "exult in our tribulations." Of course your emotions won't be overjoyed when you experience pain. But he is talking about keeping an eternal perspective regarding pain. If we can see that the outcome might be us having a better character, we can see that there can be some benefit in us going through pain. For example, in the case of working out, it is painful at the time, but later on we feel better and more healthy. So it is with emotional pain in our lives as well. It can make us more healthy in that we can become more sympathic and kind people.

You can see this if you look at two people who have had totally different lives. One may have been through the fire, it would seem, and has had almost every trial imaginable happen to them. Generally they are a more humble person and more compassionate towards others. Generally they are more wise and well rounded. Granted trials can make someone turn out bitter, but for some it improves their character, because they choose to let it. Then you can have another person who has almost never had to suffer. They can be the most spoiled, callous and insensitive person ever. Why? Because they have never had to go through anything hard. They don't know what the pain of others feels like because they have almost never had to experience pain. So which person would you rather be? Can you see now maybe why God let you go through some hard times, because it can make you a more kind person?

Pain in our lives generally leads us to being more loving people, and so it can lead to us being more holy. God is holy and our objective is to become more and more holy like God. The main pathway to holliness is love. Selfishness leads to sin and love leads to holliness.

May God help us all to grow in our ability to really love others the way that He does. May he make us more gentle and compassionate when others are in pain. May we be more quick to love than to judge others. Amen. God bless!