God is eager to display His work

I'm trying to reduce my sugar intake and recently dealt with some strong cravings. I realized it wasn't really a sweet snack that I craved; I just wanted to feel better. On top of the usual stresses of life, I was feeling anxious about something at work. I felt lousy and knew that a snack would mask it.

This reminded me of times when I've turned to porn for similar reasons. In those cases, it wasn't the porn itself that drew me; it was the need to forget my pain. It's well known that porn use is linked to pain avoidance, acting as a very effective salve or medication—at least until it inevitably morphs into additional pain. Regardless of the motivation, with unwanted porn use, pain is likely at the heart of the problem. This is why honesty, counseling and connection are at the heart of the solution.

The question of why a loving God allows us to experience pain has been asked for ages. C. S. Lewis explores it in his book The Problem of Pain, suggesting that pain is beneficial as it shapes us into our best selves and can draw us closer to God. And there’s also the idea that pain works to highlight and amplify joy by drawing a contrast - allowing us to appreciate the good in our lives because we also experience the opposite. These answers are good and have comforted me over the years.

But then, the morning after the strong sugar cravings, I was reading in the Bible where Jesus’ disciples asked him why a man had been born blind, and Jesus responded, "that the works of God might be displayed in him" (John 9:1-3). As I read, I felt a surge of hope and a shift in perspective. I sensed that Jesus might have been eager in that moment to display His Father's work and bring the blind man's long wait and pain to an end. More importantly, I felt that some of my pain was due for a display of God’s work.

I realized that God wants to display his work, and He will do it. Some of my pain may have to linger so that I can grow from it or so that the contrast can amplify my joy. But some of my pain is simply waiting for the day God will display his work in me, and that day is closer than I thought. In the end, all my suffering will be swallowed up in the love of God.

This was a message of “be patient just a little longer and keep up your faith.” But the surge of hope and anticipation it brought lightens the load of my pain and gives me strength to continue with patience. Maybe patience and excited anticipation is the kind of faith required of me to be healed of much of my pain.

To break the cycle of dealing with pain in ultimately harmful ways, I believe one or both of two things need to happen: find a healthy way to cope with the pain or eliminate it altogether. I'm discovering that patient faith in God, combined with a sense of excited anticipation, may address both. When I truly “let go and let God,” as the saying goes, peace replaces my pain. This peace can be an even more effective balm than sugar or porn. And, ultimately, it’s God who will heal my pain.

By Ty, Writing Team