No pain, no gain. (and no glory)

A woman goes into labor with her child. The doctor says that they have invented a new device to transfer the pain of child birth to the father. He asks if it's okay to use the device. They agree. He turns the pain to the father to 10%. The man feels nothing. They then bump it up to 20%. He still feels nothing. They keep doing this until they have the machine up to 100%. The man still felt nothing so they went home happy, only to find the milkman dead on the porch.

Unfortunately for the husband, the milkman, and for all of us, there is no pain transference machine. Pain is a part of life. It’s a reality. People who avoid it are not genuine. At the least bit of the tug of difficulty, they run. But they are robbing themselves. No pain, no gain, and no glory. Don’t run from adversity.

If you are living and breathing, you’re paining in varying degrees. It’s yours. What do you do when you’re faced with pain? In 1 Chronicle 4, in the middle of a genealogy of pained men, we meet a man who would not let pain rob him of the blessings of God—Jabez. His pain was God’s problem and his glory.

His situation in life (Sitz im Leben) was this: When he had pain because of less—less property, provisions, and protection because of 70 years of Babylonian-Persian exile, he still sought God. So must you.

First, be better than your situation. Jabez was. He was more honorable than his negative family history, other people’s negative labels placed on him, and the negative national situation he faced.

 9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain."   

What generational shortcoming has plagued your family? What wrong label has been placed on you and you suffered for it? Consider the pain of Lucy Higgs Nichols who went from a life of slavery to a life of serving others by choice. The former slave turned Civil War nurse was so beloved by soldiers that they called her “Aunt Lucy” and would care for her until the day she died. When Nichols' own health became a concern, the men of the 23rd Regiment and their families saw to her medical care until she suffered a fatal stroke at 69.

APPLICATION:  Be better than the negative history, situation or label that has plagued you. Be a GOD-SEEKER.

Second, pray to God who is bigger than your pain.  Jabez prayed with a big view of God.

10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain."

• A prayer for God’s “indeed” blessings:  “Oh, that you would bless me indeed …”. An indeed blessing is from a knowing, seeing, and understanding the purposeful God.

• A prayer for God’s engagement in his life situation: “...enlarge my territory. Let your hand be with me…”. When God’s hand is in it, promises are kept.

• A prayer for God’s protection from pain: “…keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.”  A providential God removes anxiety so peace results.

REFLECTION: Have your prayers been a limited view of God? APPLICATION: Pray with a view that God is large and in charge.

Finally, trust a limitless God to respond to your pain. God answered Jabez’s prayer of pain.

           10b And God granted his request.

Recall a time when God gave you more than you asked or thought. Expect God to speak to your pain.  

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God… Philippians 4:6-7

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Ephesians 3:20

Pop, pop, fizz, fizz. Oh, what a relief it is!  Take a W.O.G. (Word of God) chill pill each day. Don’t run from adversity.  Run headlong into the day proclaiming, “Bring, it on.”