I would disagree. First, not all pain is a bad thing (think of the “pains”–sometimes physical ones–we go through for our kids, and we’re glad we made the sacrifice). We should be careful about adopting the hedonist view that we should maximize pleasure and minimize pain (or at least dull all pain). Second, our deepest pains will be psychological or emotional, not physical. Some would much rather go through physical pain than the pain of alienation or sorrow or loss of a loved one. We shouldn’t attempt to “fix” such pain with medicine! Third, as Christians, we not only “take up our cross daily”–a very painful thing–we also enter into the pains and heartaches of others. We not only rejoice with those who rejoice, but weeping with those who weep. Christians will often hurt precisely because they are united with Christ and because they are concerned about others. Jesus himself was pained–his stomach tied in knots–when he saw the crowds distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd.

Thanks for the comments!

When you wrote this e-mail, I was on vacation for several weeks, and for some reason I never saw this posting until I happened to just stumble across it today. I’m so sorry for the oversight—especially as you told so much about your struggles and difficulties.
I think you’re right to emphasize that true Christian fellowship is rooted in God’s sufficient grace in Christ, to which we can add nothing. By the Spirit’s working, our full trust in Christ’s cross-work enables us to come together in Jesus’ name. As the hymnwriter put it: “Nothing in my hands I bring. Simply to Thy cross I cling.” However, we can have fellowship with people who struggle with placing their trust in Christ day-by-day, which is true of all of us! I (and other Christian theologians) would say that fellowship is made possible by God’s Spirit in light of Christ’s death and resurrection. Fellowship is not based upon our faith; rather, this dependent faith is a response to God’s provision, and by faith we enter into the grace of Christian fellowship. We are most fully appropriating this grace when we are most fully trusting in Christ’s work and empowerment, but we must also remember that we stumble and fail; we can easily construct idols of self-sufficiency in our hearts. So our fellowship is comprised of struggling, imperfect Christians who often say, “I believe. Help my unbelief!”
As for the question of medications, sometimes that is necessary for handling certain bodily imbalances. There certainly are negative health conditions that are the result of spiritual and emotional issues and thus must be addressed appropriately—not simply by taking medication.
As for the question of feeling inadequate, join the club! Indeed, that’s precisely the point—that we’re inadequate and in need of God. Consider Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), of whom the preacher George Whitefield said: “I have not met his like in all New England.” The saintly Edwards confessed:
“Often . . . I have had the very affecting views of my own sinfulness and vileness, very frequently to such a degree as to hold me in a kind of loud weeping, sometimes for a considerable time together, so that I have been often obliged to shut myself up….When others that have come to talk with me about their soul’s concerns have expressed the sense they have had of their wickedness, by saying that it seemed to them they were as bad as the devil himself; I thought their expressions seemed exceeding faint and feeble to represent my wickedness . . . . My wickedness, as I am in myself, has long appeared to me perfectly ineffable [i.e., inexpressible] and swallowing up all thought and imagination–like an infinite deluge, or mountains over my head. I know not how to express better what my sins appear to me to be, than by heaping infinite on infinite and multiplying infinite by infinite . . . . When I look into my heart and take a view of my own wickedness, it looks like an abyss infinitely deeper than hell” (Personal Narrative, Pt. XV).
So take heart! You’re not alone! There are lots more of us right next to you!
I think we should differentiate between being *accepted* before God (which is based on Christ’s performance, not ours) and being *pleasing* to Him. We can please God and walk in His light so long as we acknowledge our sin, our inadequacy, and the need for God’s forgiveness.
May God give you grace and wisdom—and the human support you need—as you struggle through these difficult waters.

Blessings to you!

Paul

Great post!

No one wants to be cut with a knife. It hurts!

But instead, in the hands of a skilled surgeon, the knife is a tool that ultimately brings about healing. If I had some disease and needed surgery, I’d want to have it cut out! Pain now may not be enjoyable, but I believe that God is the ultimate surgeon and He’s working in my life - a nip here, a tuck there, to ultimately one day bring about final healing in eternity.

Thinking of it this way does allow us to change our perspective, and while the pain is no more fun, we can now endure it with peace in our hearts knowing that God is working for our benefit instead of being angry at Him for not delivering us from our circumstances.

Blessings,

Paul

What I’ve found is that by doing this just a few times, it then came natural
to seek out His help and guidance on everything and I don’t feel depressed
anymore and any pain that might start, gets better immediately. I now have
a more positive outlook on everything and I thank God everyday for His love
and grace.

Thanks again,

Cheryl Mann-McLaughlin

Thank you for a great lesson. It is a great revelation. In a time where we seem to want to be delivered from our weaknesses, it is a great reminder to know that no matter what our circumstance, that His “grace is sufficient”. Thanks again.

Miles

A timely message for me as well. I cannot thank you enough for turning my eyes up rather than in.

Richard

I don’t know about you, but I go through this with my ministry, especially with teaching. I always want to feel confident about everything and secure in my presentation. I also stress about whether my life is meeting up to the standards of that on which I am about to speak. This is not only stressful, but often depressing.

In relation to what you wrote, I know that the common experience is that when I don’t experience this stressful and depressing time, I don’t rely quit so much on the Lord and things don’t go quit so well. Now I often pray that I am going through some conflict so that I don’t rely too much on my own strength, but on His.

Thanks for the reminder.