Pain in vain

All of us have our share of pain and suffering which steals the joy, out of our lives. Most often these sufferings are nothing but consequence of the lack of prudence or Wisdom.

Wisdom is the counsel, God grants us freely, in order to make the right decisions and effectively execute tasks that are before us.

The diverse and complex work schedules, all of us traverse through, leaves us frustrated with unsettled problems to tackle at the end of each day. Problems like being misunderstood, favoritism at work etc are a few in this endless list. We carry the resultant frustration with us and transfer it to people who come in contact with us. They take the brunt of our mistakes. These issues grow in size and depth and manifest in malicious ways and cripple lives.

God’s wisdom offers to settle all loose ends on a daily basis. He also helps us to formulate strategies, to tackle future tasks. Wisdom surpasses all conventional human understanding.

Wisdom can be acquired by way of a daily settlement with God, that is, by spending quality time with God; seeking his guidance in areas we need help. We must be ready to be corrected ion the light of wisdom and trust in God completely.

Lack of application of God’s wisdom in our lives leads to suffering that is uncalled for. Financial crisis, dearth of peace, stress, certain illnesses could all be traced to lack of application of wisdom.

But there is also pure suffering. Pure suffering visits us with out an invitation. It does not come as a consequence of our actions or decisions but as a gift. Pure suffering has the potential to be redemptive and to purify us like the refiners fire. It has a natural ability to draw us closer to God, if embraced in the light of truth. Real suffering is joy, so much so that saints ask for it, as it joins their suffering to that of Christ in redeeming the world. 

Pure suffering can turn out to be devastating if we don’t make an effort remain in the vine which is Christ, especially when God seems so far away. (so called desert experience).  The character of Job in the bible personifies the perfect endurance of suffering and the consequent victorious emergence into doubled Glory.

May the truth guide us, faith propel us, in times of true suffering. May the wisdom lead us to right discernment and choices.