When my wife and I were taking birthing classes in preparation for the arrival of our first child, we were introduced to a phrase: “Pain with a purpose.” At the time, it was a bit corny, but it also proved to be true. It still is.
The human capacity to press through just about anything for the sake of a worthy goal is astounding. The human phsyche’s ability to quite literally forget the anguish once something like a baby is held in the arms is an astounding piece of biology. A true gift from the Creator.
The human soul has a similar mechanism: to allow present joy to overpower the memory of previous grief. Which is yet another gift from the Creator. Because not all suffering is physical. I’ve broken a lot of bones, but some of the worst pain I’ve ever experienced has been mental, emotional, relational, or spiritual.
In some way, all suffering can be birth pains. Something beautiful and good is about to be brought out into the light of your world. And you will, thankfully, never be the same. Because this present pain has a purpose that will bring you immeasurable joy. Christ comes to us not on the triumphant mountain top, but in the valley of loss. Whatever your grief may be now, when you see Christ—hidden down there in the shadows—you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
