purpose in pain

mama2one

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I'm sure there's threads already on "purpose in pain" so sorry if this is a repeat

the only time I'm not in pain is when sleeping
I'm really tired of it
it feels like God hates me to give me all this pain everyday-for years now

don't see the purpose in it at all
why can't I for once wake up & be normal
 

CMDRExorcist

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Pain is not from God. It's from Satan, who rules this world because of its fallen nature. The purpose of pain is to remind us of our fragile and finite state. Without pain, we would know no fear and no sense to protect ourselves from the evil of this world. I am praying for you to find peace and comfort among the hurt.
 
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aiki

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I'm sure there's threads already on "purpose in pain" so sorry if this is a repeat

the only time I'm not in pain is when sleeping
I'm really tired of it
it feels like God hates me to give me all this pain everyday-for years now

don't see the purpose in it at all
why can't I for once wake up & be normal

I've had chronic pain for over ten years now. The bottom three discs in my back are shot. Pain, sleepless nights, hobbling around with a cane, unable to sit down, and so on. Sometimes it's better, sometimes worse. But every day has pain in it. Normal work is far more exhausting because I do it while I'm hurting; and making plans with friends and family is always a gamble because putting on my shoes or standing up too quickly will put me on the floor, unable to function, for days at a time. I have to wrestle each day with fear and a profoundly limited life.

But things could be worse. Much worse. While I suffer, I do so in the midst of plenty, and comfort, and safety. I have the great blessing of a wonderful wife. Most of all, I walk through each day with God, my Maker, who knows my troubles intimately and loves me in the midst of them, strengthening me, teaching me, and preparing me for the eternity with Him that is to come.

Without God, pain is largely meaningless. It's just a biological mechanism that tells us something is wrong and damaging to us and we should act to stop it.

Pain has the effect of narrowing our focus, of making us myopic, able only to see ourselves and our pain. Without God's mitigating influence, pain can shrink one's world into a tiny, crushing prison of misery. And without Him, that prison is purely accidental, serving no purpose, really; it just hurts and that's all.

With God, though, pain has an eternal purpose, a purpose that transcends the here-and-now, extending forever into the hereafter. Pain, like everything else in life, God would use to make us more like Christ - if we'll let Him. (Romans 8:29) Every aspect of our lives, good and bad, are potential opportunities to be transformed by God and used by Him as His hands and heart to a lost and dying world.

I've been laid up in bed with a flare-up and God has still used me and taught me. I've been able to counsel folks from my bed, even discipling a fellow - sort of - by phone over the course of several weeks. It actually made me laugh to think that, despite being on a bed of suffering, God would use me to bless and exhort others. But this went on, of course, in tandem with my own learning. My bed of pain was a training ground in trusting God, depending upon Him, waiting patiently on Him, pondering His truth and praying. Oh, there were some "I'm so tired. I feel so alone," moments but God never let me stay in the "Slough of Despond," reminding me often and tenderly that even at 3 am, groaning in pain and exhaustion, I could yield to Him and fix my mind upon Him. And doing so was always better than fixating on my pain and misery and being engulfed by it.

Though we often forget about the eternity to come, God always has it in mind as He moves us through our short time on this globe. He's working in us primarily for the forever that awaits us all, not for right now, that always seems so urgent and important. We'll look back, I think, from our vantage point in eternity and wonder at the way we thought of the fraction of an eye-blink of time we spent on earth, stressing about it and clamoring for it all to be easy and comfortable, investing in earthly things like there was no eternity to come. If we'll adopt God's eternal view, though, the inevitable trouble that assails us all, the pain and trials that are an unavoidable part of living in a sin-cursed world, are put in their proper perspective, shrinking and receding, as they should, before the prospect of the imminent, endless, glorious life for which we were made.

Matthew 6:19-21
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


Matthew 6:33
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.


Colossians 3:1-4
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.


1 Corinthians 15:42-49
42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.
47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Philippians 3:20-21
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
 
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Mr. M

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don't see the purpose in it at all
why can't I for once wake up & be normal
1 Peter 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed;
but let him glorify God on this behalf.
If suffering is from God, it is for your further sanctification.
The only purpose is to lead to surrender.
When I have prayed through pain or suffering, I have found an end, and a release.
The release is that I no longer desire something that I had once before craved, or
could not do without. There is no such thing as a "resolution" to give up something
as a means to remove the clutter of life. God always knows what worldly attachments
we have that are most interfering with His Will for us.

1 Peter 4:
1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind,
for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
2
that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh for the desires of men,
but for the will of God.
If you want to devote time to God, without pain, you must pray about the things
that are hindering you, that you are clinging to
through the pain.
You cannot pray about the pain, pray about the desires of your heart.
Pray in sincerity that the Lord would take from you any desire that is not of Him.
This is what David is saying here:

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
He is not saying that Lord will give you what you want, He will give you godly desires.
We have had many unhealthy obsessions that weigh us all down. For example, some may
get hooked on playing a particular video game. This is clearly supported in scripture.

1 John 2:
16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and
the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the desires of it; but he who does the
will of God abides forever.

Not everyone has the same issues.
What one can't seem to live without, another could care less.
But we all have desires of the flesh, and only the Holy Spirit
can isolate and deliver us from them.
 
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atpollard

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I'm sure there's threads already on "purpose in pain" so sorry if this is a repeat

the only time I'm not in pain is when sleeping
I'm really tired of it
it feels like God hates me to give me all this pain everyday-for years now

don't see the purpose in it at all
why can't I for once wake up & be normal
I wish I knew.

My wife has three bulging disks in her spine above the titanium cage that has supported her spine for the last three decades. The screws on the cage are coming loose as the bones crumble around them. I have watched her endure constant pain for the last 18 years of marriage.

So I REALLY do wish that I had an answer.

Here are some observations gained over time ...
  • change is the only constant ... tomorrow will be different and some seasons will be better and worse than others.
  • our experiences are bridges into the lives of others ... every event or storm or crisis that we go through typically comes with SOMEBODY that needs to hear what we have learned. Our daughter was born with Asperger (an autism spectrum disorder) that causes her to need very specific, but fairly minimal accommodations to function in school. Things like a bracelet or necklace to chew on to "self calm" her anxiety and absolute quiet when taking tests. Getting approval for her accommodations in Public School made us experts on the system, District services and the legal and regulatory process. That information has led us to scores of other parents at their wits end about how to help their struggling child. Evangelism through friendship based on past hardship and meeting real needs.
  • There are a lot of people quietly hurting ... at one time or another, they all feel like they are all alone and nobody else is going through what they are. That is half-true (every pain is unique) and half lie (there are a lot of people suffering and asking the exact same question at that very moment).
  • It isn't right ... there is no way to cover that pig with enough lipstick to fool anyone. It is just another reminder that THIS is not HOME. This world is broken. It is not right that my baby brother should finally start asking about God and then be murdered. It is not right that my other brother should smile and tell everyone that life is good and shoot himself in the head on his birthday. It is not right that my wife should have days when she is in too much pain to walk. This is not a "good" world.
  • In spite of everything, God is good ... Given what we know about the world, that the sun shines and there is any joy or love on any day for anyone is proof of God. He loves us enough to send us those moments of refreshment as a reminder that He is waiting at the end.
  • Doing NOTHING is not a plan ... one thing that I fight with my wife is that depression that comes when what she is doing is not working, but she is afraid to try something else. Sometimes it is too many meds makes her unable to get up, so too much time in bed makes it hurt too much to get out of bed, but she is afraid of the pain if she takes less meds ... so down the spiral goes. Other times an old med stops working and it is time to visit the doctor and try a different pain control medication. I cannot advise you about an unknown medical condition except: TALK TO SOMEONE YOU LOVE AND CHANGE SOMETHING WITH YOUR DOCTOR'S APPROVAL. Nobody needs to constantly suffer and do nothing about it. Keep trying something new. It is more "trial and error" than science.
  • Watch out for depression ... it amplifies pain and is much harder to treat. Don't treat the pain without treating the depression if depression is an issue. Doctor's offices have questionnaires that help spot indicators of clinical depression. Not WANTING to do anything is one indicator.
  • Live ... it sounds stupid, but have something to get up for every day. Have somewhere to go or someone to meet or something to do. The opposite of living is dying ... which sounds more painful. ;)
 
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mama2one

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When I have prayed through pain or suffering, I have found an end, and a release.

unfortunately, unable to pray as did 10 or more years ago

unable to read books, "some" days making one post on CF takes 25 min due to lack of concentration, & unable to get through more than 1 line of "Our Father"
 
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mama2one

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CHANGE SOMETHING WITH YOUR DOCTOR'S APPROVAL.

haven't had a physical for 11 yrs as don't have a Dr now

tried to get a GP before pandemic
two places made me "apply" to be a patient
they kept putting me off & finally both said no

apparently, Drs have all the pts they need so can reject anyone as a new pt
 
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atpollard

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haven't had a physical for 11 yrs as don't have a Dr now

tried to get a GP before pandemic
two places made me "apply" to be a patient
they kept putting me off & finally both said no

apparently, Drs have all the pts they need so can reject anyone as a new pt
Where are you?
(Just City and State so I have a general location).

Sounds like time for Christians to NETWORK and fix that.
 
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dqhall

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I'm sure there's threads already on "purpose in pain" so sorry if this is a repeat

the only time I'm not in pain is when sleeping
I'm really tired of it
it feels like God hates me to give me all this pain everyday-for years now

don't see the purpose in it at all
why can't I for once wake up & be normal
I have a bad back with intermittent relapses into pain. I learned some back stretching exercises that keep me pain free most of the time, but I can no longer do heavy lifting.

Senator John McCain was tortured in a Vietnamese POW camp. He bore that pain many years later. He accomplished many things in spite of his pain.
 
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Soyeong

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I'm sure there's threads already on "purpose in pain" so sorry if this is a repeat

the only time I'm not in pain is when sleeping
I'm really tired of it
it feels like God hates me to give me all this pain everyday-for years now

don't see the purpose in it at all
why can't I for once wake up & be normal

Hello, I'll recommend reading "The Gift of Pain" by Paul Brand and Phillip Yancy.
 
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dqhall

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I wonder how much pain he had many years later as it doesn't seem he was taking meds for pain?

Health of John McCain (2008) | DoctorZebra

meds listed from ^

HCTZ (hydrochlorothiazide) ("for kidney stone prevention")
Amiloride ("to preserve potassium in the blood stream")
Zyrtec ("an anti-histamine as necessary for nasal allergies")
Ambien CR ("as necessary for sleep when traveling")
He was unable to raise his arms above his head for the remainder of his life.
What John McCain Went Through as a POW

Some people refuse pain killers. I do not use them. I took an anti inflammatory like ibuprofen occasionally, but not on a monthly basis. I do not keep alcohol in my house. I drank it rarely at social occasions.
 
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mama2one

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Hello, I'll recommend reading "The Gift of Pain" by Paul Brand and Phillip Yancy.

post # 7
unable to read books but thanks anyway


from a review:
" In suggesting pain is SO GOOD for us, it could leave someone who has never experienced long-term pain with an uncaring attitude that assumes pain ALWAYS serves a purpose, except at end of life."

it's different when one has temporary pain to know they broke something or need to go to Dr, etc

however, living with chronic daily pain, is not the same as an "informative" purpose for pain
 
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mama2one

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thanks everyone for replies!

my initial post was almost 12 hrs ago when I felt horrible
high humidity, hot day which brings more pain to me

stayed in bed most of day & feeling somewhat better
still hurting but not as intense like this morn
 
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Jeffwhosoever

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Pain is not healthy and is certainly not from the Lord, but through our pain he provides us comfort and purpose. The Scripture tells us God is always working for the best of those who are called according to his purpose but that does not mean a pain free life. Did you know that untreated pain develops a biological pattern where it becomes more and more effective and as a result begins to amplify that pain over time? Its called neuroplasticity, where your neuron synpases actually grow more pain sensors. Its similiar to how your tonsils respond to strept throat, to where anything you swallow feels like razorss cutting into your throat. So don't live with chronic untreated pain that is severe, or you will develop a sensitization to it and then you'll really be in a bind. Seek medical help. Very few if any get addicted to pain pills when taken as prescribed and only when needed, and never for recreation or to get high or for any purpose than the specific treatment of your own pain. Keep them safe from others too, so no child can possibly access your medicines. But don't ignore pain because it won't go away on its own, it could start the process of self-amplification and it could be pointing out a serious health condition like a prescursor to a blown disc or heart attack and so take it as a serious warning and seek professional medical care.
 
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atpollard

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Pain is not healthy and is certainly not from the Lord, but through our pain he provides us comfort and purpose. The Scripture tells us God is always working for the best of those who are called according to his purpose but that does not mean a pain free life. Did you know that untreated pain develops a biological pattern where it becomes more and more effective and as a result begins to amplify that pain over time? Its called neuroplasticity, where your neuron synpases actually grow more pain sensors. Its similiar to how your tonsils respond to strept throat, to where anything you swallow feels like razorss cutting into your throat. So don't live with chronic untreated pain that is severe, or you will develop a sensitization to it and then you'll really be in a bind. Seek medical help. Very few if any get addicted to pain pills when taken as prescribed and only when needed, and never for recreation or to get high or for any purpose than the specific treatment of your own pain. Keep them safe from others too, so no child can possibly access your medicines. But don't ignore pain because it won't go away on its own, it could start the process of self-amplification and it could be pointing out a serious health condition like a prescursor to a blown disc or heart attack and so take it as a serious warning and seek professional medical care.
What he said.
Plus there are a LOT of other options for treating pain including spinal cord stimulation and nerve blockers.
All pain pills are not equal. Some have a high risk of addiction and resistance and some have low risk. They also come in a VERY WIDE RANGE of doses, so not every pain pill is a high dose dangerous narcotic. That's where the Doctor has a lot of "trial and error" to see which pills and dosage works best with your body.

Sometimes you only need a pill for breakthrough pain and a muscle relaxant or magnesium supplement to prevent most of the issues. That is why you need a Doctor to find the cause to know how to treat it. Inoperable spine damage comes down to pills to control pain. Different causes have different solutions.
 
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