As Christians, we are often faced with questions like “If God is so good, then why is there pain and suffering in the World?” “Why did this happen to me?” And, like all of us, I’ve found myself in the midst of pain, not understanding why it was happening. Crying out to God, saying “Surely, God, there must another way!? Where are you in this season?” He revealed the secret truths to me, the deeper truths of the necessity of pain in our lives.
This blog is partly inspired by a devotional that was posted by our squad coaches on Facebook and it is one that has completely changed my outlook on painful seasons in life. The devo was written by Ben Stuart and it was over the documentary “How Wolves Change Rivers.” In this devotional, he sums up the documentary that covered the story of Yellowstone National Park after a pack of wolves were intentionally loosed in the grasslands. The park’s ecosystem had started falling apart with an overpopulation of deer, which, due to grazing, had turned valleys into wastelands. The over-grazing of grass lead to soil erosion, which destabilized the banks of the river, slowing and diminishing water flow, which in turn lead to wildlife leaving the park. So, the wolves were loosed to take out the source, an overpopulation of deer, in hopes that the park could return to its full glory. Here’s an excerpt that concludes the outcome and shows the connection between painful seasons in our lives and the wolves in Yellowstone.
“…the entrance of a few wolves created a whole world of good in Yellowstone National Park, transforming wastelands into lush valleys teeming with life. So it turns out that the best thing to do to promote life was to release a few wolves into the valley…I think we would accuse God of being insane if we heard him respond to our cries for greater intimacy with our spouse, greater fruit in our ministries, or greater intimacy with him, by saying, ‘You want more life? I’ll tell ya what will give it: a medical emergency, or losing your job, or a car accident.’ We would think he’s out of his mind. But search your past and tell me if it isn’t true: Often the introduction of something difficult, and even dangerous, into our lives by the hand of God results in unanticipated, yet undeniable growth. Difficulty brings blessing. Hardship brings joy. Wolves change rivers.”
The entrance of hardship and pain reaps righteousness. Through pain and suffering we become more like Jesus. I think some of us believe that following Jesus is only about good times and blessings. But look at the people that we read about in the Bible. John the Baptist was beheaded, Paul was imprisoned, Jesus was crucified. You can’t look at their lives and not see that suffering and pain was a necessary part of their journey. It is also a necessary part of our journey with him.
While spending some time with the Lord one day I asked Him “ I can see that going to the deeper places of who you are and who I am is done through painful things. What’s the connection there? Why through painful means?” And He answered me with His Word. This is what I recorded in my journal:
“But God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
Hebrews 12:10b-11
The author of Hebrews knew that to partake in Jesus’ holiness we must walk through painful seasons and disciplines, and that we are trained by them. As I began to explore this further the Lord kept showing me scriptures that confirmed what He was teaching me. Paul says in Romans 8:17, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs of Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Those two small letters, i-f, make the connection between being children of God and suffering. If we are to follow Christ we are to also share in his sufferings, so that we may share also in his glory. That’s the hope of journeying with him through painful seasons, sharing in his glory and his holiness.
Through studying this and asking Jesus to teach me more, the thing that has stuck out the most is that there is hope in pain. There is nothing that we’ve walked through that he doesn’t understand. Jesus understands pain. Jesus walks with us through pain. Jesus is our great hope through it all. Through pain, we get to partake in Jesus’ holiness and glory. Paul also has something to say about the comforts of God through painful seasons. He writes in 2 Corinthians 1:5&6
“ For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.”
Jesus has plenty. Through him our comfort overflows. Things overflow when the container is too small to hold all of it. The hope in our painful seasons and sufferings is this: Jesus is greater. We can’t contain all the comfort and love he has for us, we are too small. It makes me so thankful to know that his comforts are not only sufficient in meeting my pain, but they are more than enough. In Matthew 5:4 Jesus says,
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” The key to knowing his comfort is to mourn. We can’t know his comfort without mourning first.
So, next time the wolves come I hope you have new vision and perspective for what that may lead to in your life. If you’re in a season with the wolves, I hope you know his comfort during this time, more than you ever have before. I hope that you learn something new about him and about yourself. There are some wastelands in us that he wants to turn into lush, green, valleys, full of life and it may take a pack of wolves to get it there. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t ask for relief, or for deliverance from painful seasons, God hears our prayers and he is attentive to our needs. But, as you seek him, go with gratitude as he leads you through every season.Can you begin to look back over your life, through the painful times and seasons of suffering and ask God for new perspective for how you view those seasons, and the work he did during those times? He’ll show you how he has been there through it all. Can you be bold enough to begin to ask him what wastelands he wants to bring his life to? It’s a brave prayer, one that shouldn’t be prayed lightly. But, through those kinds of prayers, our life is directed to the path that he has for us, as he is able to mold us into his likeness. Just like the flow of the river was changed, so will our heart’s desires.
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