Pain Fades

John 16:21, “Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.”

Have you ever considered how the memories of pain fade?

I consider it all the time, for example why did I eat those chili peppers again knowing that 8 to 12 hours of pain is going to follow? Why does my body, still years later, crave tobacco knowing the weeks of pain I endured to quit? Why did God make it so that pain would fade?

Some pain comes with a social stigma attached that more often than not build a wall of protection or shield of denial so that the pain is avoided again. Some pain comes from learning and common sense protects us from touching fire or the hot stove for a second time. Addicts remember the pain and burdens they have felt and caused, but somehow those pains fade too much, and the lure of some pleasure overrides them time and time again.

Failure can be an awful pain that delivers its sting time and time again year after year. But so very quickly fades with even a little success. Rejection is no pain at all, but for our mind magnifies and complicates it into some of the worse pains of all. Being rejected by one when there are four billion others truly is unworthy of irritation, unless of course that rejection is a father, or mother, or sibling, or object of affection, target of greed. Lack is painful, but live in it long enough that pain too fades.

Pain shapes us, and if we will allow it speaks volumes to those areas of our soul out of touch with God. Always two directions to pain… away from God… or into it with God… to share in Christ’s rejection, lack, physical harm, cravings. To share in His overcoming… to share in the pain of the cross that has long since faded even in His memory.

“Therefore you too have grief now: but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” (John 16:22) Because you will be impervious to pain. You will have joy knowing that in the pain you have the opportunity become more like Christ. You will remember that pain so quickly fades. You will see Christ with you in the pain. “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” (John 16:23) He will give it to you not to because it will change the situation. He will give it not because it will remove the pain. But He will give it because you did not question His decision to have you share in Jesus’ pain. He will give it because you see the Father and what He is doing, and in that you see His will, and You ask because He is asking you to ask.

The lesson of the fading pain is dependence upon God, and in knowing that in all the pain He is birthing in us the character of Christ. Sit in it, without question, but rather look to see Jesus in it so that your heart might rejoice.