Pain as a Spiritual Tool

For as long as I can remember the saying “No pain, no gain” has been part of my life.  I didn’t believe it so I worked just hard enough to sweat, but no pain was allowed when I did physical exercise.  I believed that you would get the same end-result, but it would just take a little longer my pain-free way.   I didn’t relate pain to spiritual growth at all – until recently.

As a result of my recent bout with pain, I had a spiritual insight.  My usual way of dealing with pain is to ignore it, in hopes it will go away.  I was applying this method, when I realized that pushing away my pain, pushed God out of my life also.  Isn’t that just weird?  When I needed a strong connection to God the most, so I could have hope and see a bright future, I accidentally pushed God out of my life along with the pain.

Let me explain.  When I pushed the pain aside mentally, I disconnected with the world a bit, which I thought until recently was a side effect I could live with.  Turns out I feel at my weakest spiritually when I disconnect to the world – the place God created for us to live, work and play.  So by disconnecting from the world at large, I was disconnecting from God.  Once I had that insight, I brought the pain back to my attention and was one with it.  Wasn’t fun as far as pain levels, but I enjoy life so much more.  I was back to being Sunshine Walking instead of having my lights dimmed.  I still have the pain, but it isn’t bothering me like it was before I reconnected.  I guess I just having too much fun to notice.

So pain is a spiritual tool.  I’m still working on this concept, so my thoughts are not fully developed on this spiritual principle.  Here’s what I have come up with so far:  If you go with the flow of pain and not fight it; pain can be used as tool for spiritual growth.

Am I making sense?  Have you already discovered this principle?  If you have, can you give me tips to fully understand this principle so I can grow spiritual?

Life is good! God is great!  All is right in my world!

Blessings,

Genie

Illustrating How I Felt:

I was just outside the world. Mostly me, but not fully me.

Feeling normal and able to interact with the world

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