Pain or Suffering?

Pain or Suffering?

Pain.


All humans experience pain. While psychologists and some belief systems conclude that

Pain is a "normal part" of the human condition; some even argue it is a gift!
While this can be difficult to understand, it can also be encouraging. 

Pain is felt as a bad thing, but could be the messenger telling us important information to save us from a worse fate. 

Ever try ignoring your pain? It doesn't work, and you risk hurting yourself more when you ignore the pesky messenger. 

We often try to numb pain and go about our lives, but this could lead to further injury.

Suffering

Suffering is another thing. Suffering involves putting up with pain, even making a home for it.

Beyond the physical...the mind can cling to pain and then the soul can suffer. Christian leaders and philosophers grapple with the complexity of both pain and suffering in biblical doctrine.

What is Fair?

Good things happen to bad people. God gives good gifts to those that do not deserve them, and in doing so he shows his love and generosity.

Bad things happen to good people. The book of Job is the biblical example of this truth. God allowed Job (a blameless man) to suffer, even though God loved Job. 

Job stayed faithful to God in his suffering, but Job's friends deserted him, thinking he must have done something bad to deserve his pain. Ouch, that's harsh, but according to research, it is true. 

Research demonstrates that we blame human suffering on the people experiencing it as a way to protect ourselves psychologically. This is called the Just World Hypothesis, and it is a fallacy. 

The Challenge

Listen to your body, and your heart when you experience pain. Pain is a messenger, and may be the symptom of an underlying condition.

Don't ignore or numb your pain (when possible). Seek help as needed and get more information about what is actually causing the pain. 

Understandably we all reach for something to help us ignore or mask pain, whether physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, but if we never discover the cause, it may get worse. 

We all experience pain, but I do not believe we are meant to suffer it. 

đź’—Wishing you Amazing Love and Awesome Style!
P.S. Clicking the links in my articles takes you for a deeper dive and provides resources!

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