The Motivation of Pain

Exodus 8:15
“But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen”

This verse breaks my heart, it's too close to home.

One of the uses of pain is to motivate. Take a hot stove for instance: The pain of my burning finger is to motivate me to move my hand so the damage will cease. This is a God-given response. Even animals have it. That's why my cat will no longer rub up against my electric heater.

Pain also has a future motivator: The emotional pain I would feel for wrecking my family is one motivator to not have an affair. The pain I would feel by getting a disease is another.

There have been times in my life when I have been gripped with emotional or physical pain over one thing or another. During such times, I can become very focused. I can even become more faithful, a better Christian, a better husband, a better servant.

But I have often found that when the pain is gone, I forget some (or all) of the lessons I’ve learned. When I find relief and am more comfortable, I lose my motivation. When I’m not suffering anymore I return to status quo. I believe this is similar to what was happening to Pharaoh.

If Jesus is truly teaching me a lesson on life, it would be true in the midst of pain and outside of it.

The change I have learned is this: when I am in the midst of struggle and pain, I ask God to COMPLETE and preserve the lessons he is teaching me (not only beg Him to get me out) and I write down what I am learning so I can read it later. This is my way of saying to God, “what you’re doing is more important than what I’m feeling”.

The bottom line is this: if God is only in my life so I can get out of the pain I am in, that is no basis for a relationship with Him.