Pain and Suffering Do Not Need to be Synonymous
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Peter 5:10)
Pain and suffering are not synonymous! Pain is momentary. Suffering endures. I like how Luka Bonisch addresses the difference between pain and suffering in her article "The Absurdity of Our Suffering." With a simple example, Bonisch states, "Stubbing your toe is painful. Telling yourself you're a clumsy idiot and probably deserve it is suffering." Bonisch provides an even more challenging example. "Being sad that your spouse left you is pain. Telling yourself that you can't live without this person is suffering." Bonisch helps us understand that pain is often beyond our control. Yet, suffering is usually determined by how we respond to our pain.
The physical, emotional, and spiritual relationship is intimate, complex, and interrelated. After I broke my back, a hospital therapist taught me relaxation exercises to help my anxiety and control the muscle spasms. The more I could relax my mind, the more my muscles relaxed, and the spasms decreased. When I included a prayer component to my relaxation meditation, the spasms seemed absent for more extended periods.
For the secularist who says, "Scott, all that spiritual talk is all in your head." My response is, "Yep, you are absolutely right!" The Holy Spirit works through our body and the mind. What is in my head is open ground for the Spirit to move, adjust, and guide our thought process so pain does not become suffering and faith thrives even in the difficult moments of life.
Today, reflect on your physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Most people start with the physical because it is the easiest. Setting up a diet and workout schedule is tangible. Nurturing our mental and spiritual wellbeing is more arduous. Begin your transformation with spiritual care. Prayer, worship, devotional reading, and caring beyond yourself allow you to invite the Holy Spirit into your life more profoundly. Only with the Spirit's assistance can we address the complexity of our mental health. Then, addressing the physical will be successful because, with our mind and soul in harmony, we will be in a healthy space to manage the physical discomfort necessary to transition to greater physical wellness. Through this process of Spirit first, the pain will not become ongoing suffering but will bring a healthy transformation of body, mind, and soul.