SUFFERING & TRIALS: The Purpose of Pain

Pain. It's something we all try to avoid; vast quantities of pharmaceuticals are massed produced so that we can avoid it, in all of it's terrible and tiresome shades

C.S. Lewis did an amazing job dealing with the issue of pain in the world with his first published work, The PROBLEM of PAIN in which he deals with the issue of suffering, and if GOD is All-powerful and good, then why is there suffering in this world?
We dealt with the problem of evil in a TTUF article entitled EVIL - This Strange Predicament. 

Human beings seem to know intuitively that pain is not merely undesirable but is on some fundamental level, plain wrong; that it's something that shouldn't exist (but does, thus the high degree of frustration, doubt and even anger that we feel that results from this effrontery). 
From the TTUF article linked above, we have the following quote:

"Some things we must consider: those of us who believe the Bible to be God's very Word understand that good comes from an eternal, infinite source and so is itself a thing of eternal and infinite properties. Evil comes from a temporal, finite source and so is itself a thing of temporal and finite properties.

"What we rightly conclude from this is that evil will be short-lived from an eternal perspective, a parenthetical quality that will no longer exist in the new creation, once God commences that work (REV 21:1). Since it is a thing itself finite, it has finite resources such as finite power, finite knowledge and finite influences. In its battle against good, it fights a hopeless cause. Good 'holds all the cards' as it were - because the Almighty is infinite and eternal in power, knowledge and influences."

We therefore understand that any pain or suffering we endure, is temporary from the eternal perspective. This doesn't help us in the here and now, other than to comfort us that there is a definitive termination point, afterwards such things will not exist, anywhere, for anyone who is a child of our good GOD.

But now to the problem at hand, if indeed a problem it is. One might balk at that statement, thinking, Of course pain and suffering is a problem! How can it NOT be?!
Yet if we understand that GOD has a purpose in the pain and suffering we experience and what His end goal is, we see such things from wisdom's viewpoint and know that they are tools in the hands of our Loving GOD, Who uses such things to carefully, delicately and artfully etch into our lives the very character of Christ.

My brother does a lot of work in wood, and has a wood lathe to accomplish such pieces of woodwork that I find astounding. One day while he has a chunk of wood mounted on the machine and carving into it, had a thought that I believe was of the LORD:

"What if that wood had feelings?" If my brother was determined to make a thing of beauty out of an ordinary chunk of wood - and GOD is Himself so determined to instill the beauty of Christ into our lives - then he would have to carve only as much and only as deep as would be absolutely necessary in order to accomplish his task - and not a bit more, lest there be any needless suffering by that block of wood.
GOD likewise will not allow us to experience even a fraction of an ounce more of suffering than what is necessary in order to accomplish His labor of love.

Let's consider the Prince of Peace, Who Himself endured the pinnacle of the profoundest pain of any persons throughout all time:

HEBREWS 12:2
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

PHILIPPIANS 2:8
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

We know that the LORD Jesus is the ultimate example for us; we model our lives after His; how He responded in any given situation, by His grace, we likewise respond. He endured the cross - and if you know anything at all about crucifixion, you know that it's the most horrific and nightmarish form of agonizing torture.
Yet the physical aspect of the Cross, while paramount in physical pain, was insignificant compared to what He suffered for us spiritually, becoming sin for us (2 COR 5:20) and was condemned by GOD the Father as He, our Sin-bearer, the Holy LAMB of GOD suffered His wrath and judgment (ROM 8:3; MATT 27:46)!

We know and understand the infinite good that was accomplished by Christ's suffering for our sins; though the apostles were bewildered and couldn't at the time of the LORD's Passion, they came to understand the holy truth that the cross of suffering works the will of GOD and accomplishes wonders that blesses others.

So why are YOU suffering right now, child of GOD? Do you know why? The block of wood didn't understand, and the apostles didn't understand Christ's suffering on the cross at that time either - but without understanding, the will of GOD was done nevertheless. Inasmuch as we think it would help us to understand the particular reasons why we suffer, without such understanding, we will still benefit from these GOD-ordained sufferings and trials, while in the tender, Almighty nail-pierced hands of the LORD, Who always, always has His purpose in our pain!

Yet why is it that suffering is even needed to begin with, in order for GOD's work to be accomplished? Since He is Almighty, couldn't He accomplish what He wants without using this dreadful tool?

HEBREWS 2:9-11
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

Intellectually speaking, we believe that the LORD could have come up with a means of salvation that didn't require suffering by Christ, but the way He chose was the way of the Cross. He fitted His Son with a human body for the express purpose (certainly not the only one) of getting it flayed, beaten, ridiculed, humiliated, wounded and crucified.

The Savior of the world, by Whom and for Whom all things are created suffered and tasted death in all of its ugly and tenacious destruction - and thereby was our Captain made perfect (vs. 10: the Greek word teleioó meaning "complete, achieving an end goal, to consummate, to work through a process and reach the final stage or conclusion"). In the very work of Christ on the cross, the total and cumulative sufferings of all humanity was encapsulated, so that just as His suffering became 'complete', all suffering in all its forms and functions will know a termination point.

So, why is it that suffering is even needed?
Nothing says dependence better than pain. A little child gets a splinter in their finger and holds the painfully throbbing digit in their clutch, and with tears in their eyes, begs Daddy to please get it out. Obviously the tiny bit of wood has caught the attention of that child like nothing else could, and they knew they were going to need help, and would not rest until they got to Daddy in whom they held the highest of confidence, that he will make it all better. 

Our prayers become so very earnest, our hearts draw ever so close, the LORD is uppermost in our thoughts when we face such things as terminal illness, unimaginable pain, horrible circumstances that we wouldn't wish on our enemy - we understand how completely dependent we are on the LORD to see us through such things, don't we?

As we encounter such times, we understand that we can't fix ourselves or solve the pain we are enduring, be it physical, mental, emotional or spiritual pain, and we with utter abandon and dependence cry out to Abba Father Who alone is able to 'fix it'. Yet the pain is not the problem, but the means of calling attention to the problem. That's how GOD designed us, that pain would function as an alarm system to let us know something isn't functioning as it should, and that some attention is needed. 

Do we always understand what it is that's malfunctioning in us, that's causing our pain? No, and again, a lack of understanding doesn't necessarily mean that GOD can't work to bring about His solution (all too often if we even think we understand and try to 'help GOD out' we end up messing things up). That child has implicit trust, that even if they don't know what's going on, or how to remedy the problem of the splinter, it's enough for them to understand that 'Daddy knows best'.

If we could boil all of the various substances of pain and suffering down to its base element, that element of evil is sin. Now, this is important that you read this carefully:

What I am NOT saying is that all pain and suffering that we experience is the result of our personal sin! ICU units in hospitals are full of little children who are suffering terrible from myriads of terminal illnesses - did their own person sin merit their suffering? NO! 
The sin, and specifically the curse of sin, as a result of the human race falling out of GOD's Holy will has thrown the machine that is the universe out of wack with the menacing monkey wrench of wickedness (1 COR 15:21-22). Thus, sickness, storms and sorrows abound because of this, this curse of sin.

That malfunction has domino'd throughout the ages of mankind, with the shrieking cacophony of pain that is inherent to this life; it's a common enough expression: "life hurts (and then you die!)" Suicide is at an all time high in this nation and around the world, and people are ending their lives simply because - life hurts. 

All of this because sin has separated us from our Creator, the One Who after He completed the creation, declared, "It is very good!" (GEN 1:31). Being separated from the Author of Life, of Order, of Good and Peace, the natural result is death, chaos, evil and pain. Yet again, the Captain of our Salvation has come - and endured the cross, He achieved the end-goal of taking all suffering and sin within Himself and ending it. And He has done all of this out of His holy motivation of love, compassion and grace and mercy for us lost sinners.
We will see the fruit of all of His labors when once He returns to the world that He redeemed with His own blood as our kinsman redeemer! Pain and suffering will be in the past, never to return!

In the meantime, if we will come to the LORD when our 'alarm system' sounds off and surrender to Him, just as our LORD Jesus did to the Father's will, and allow His work in us, the work of the cross where we die to self, die to our wants, needs, demands, and allow Him to bring us to the end of ourselves - then the purpose of pain in our sufferings and trials will be accomplished.
For some of us, this process will know completion when we draw our last breath in this world (most of us will see an end to certain trials well within the scope of our short life time); but on the other side of eternity's door, such steadfast submission to the will of GOD will be met with a wealth of Holy approval and praise and reward as cannot be imagined!

Remember, no one ever died a quick death on the cross, but in the course of time, no one ever survived the cross either. Death to self, death to those hidden things that no one can see, even ourselves (but GOD does) will be "the end goal" for such pain. And just as we saw in our Supreme and Sublime Example in the LORD Jesus - there is Life on the other side of the cross!

We will not always get our question of "Why GOD?" answered; Job never did - at the end of the book, we never find out 'why'. Yet rather than ask that question, what about if we ask "What are you teaching me in this LORD?" 
"How may I surrender to You in this situation?" 
"How can I step out of Your way and let You accomplish what You intend in me?"

May the LORD in His wisdom continue to work His will in us, so that anything we endure and suffer will realize the ultimate good and blessed goal that He intends!

GALATIANS 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Endurance, saints! Trust GOD!

For even more about this, I highly recommend that you see this brief article by COMPELLING TRUTH ministries:
Why are trials and tribulations part of the Christian life?

1 PETER 5:7 
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

REVELATION 21:1-4
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

From the ENDURING WORD BIBLE COMMENTARY we have the following study in 1 PETER 4 – SERVING GOD IN THE LAST DAYS

ALSO From Greg Reid's podcast, EXTREME TIMES: Truth in the Shadowlands we have the following message (14 mins) that is vital for the wounded, hurting and confused:

PRESENT In The PAIN