Waiting for the Day When Pain Ends

The human mind is one of the most remarkable things God created. It can remember something that happened fifty years ago in astonishing detail, yet forget why we walked into a room five minutes ago. It can learn, reason, adapt, and endure hardships that seem almost impossible to survive. And yet it can be deeply wounded by something that happened in childhood, a cruel word, a betrayal, or an experience that lasted only a few minutes. How can something be so fragile and yet so resilient?

I believe we should give God the glory for the extraordinary mind He created. We are able to survive terrible circumstances and continue living, working, raising families, and serving others. But survival does not always mean healing. Some people carry wounds that never completely close. They learn how to live with the pain, how to keep painful memories from interfering with everyday responsibilities, and how to smile when something inside still hurts. The world sees a person who has moved on, while that person knows there are memories that can still bring tears after many decades.

We need to be careful how we speak to people who carry those wounds. Telling someone to forget the past or simply get over it may sound reasonable to someone who has never experienced that kind of pain. But the human mind does not always work that way. A particular smell, familiar place, or careless remark can bring back memories that have remained quiet for years. Sometimes the sadness returns with surprising force. That does not mean the person is weak, and it certainly does not prove that a Christian lacks faith.

Scripture never teaches that following Jesus Christ makes us immune to suffering. In fact, one of the Bible's greatest promises acknowledges the painful reality of living in this fallen world. John wrote:

“And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4).

Think carefully about what God is telling us. There will be tears to wipe away. There is death, mourning, crying, and pain in this world. These are realities human beings experience, including those who love the Lord. God is not condemning His people for crying. He is promising that a day is coming when crying will no longer be necessary. This verse does not promise that every wound will heal before we leave this earth. It points us to the day when God will make all things new and suffering will finally come to an end.

That promise should also make us careful about blaming God for the wounds people carry. God created us with the ability to endure suffering, but that does not mean He caused every injury we have endured. People make sinful choices. They abuse trust, mistreat the innocent, abandon responsibilities, and sometimes inflict damage that follows another person throughout life. We should never excuse such wrongdoing by claiming that God wanted someone to suffer. His ability to sustain us through evil does not make the evil good.

James wrote:

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” (James 1:13).

James was speaking specifically about temptation, not explaining every cause of human suffering. Nevertheless, his words remind us that God is not the source of evil. We must not blame Him for sinful actions committed by human beings. We can thank Him for the strength to survive those actions while still recognizing that what happened was wrong.

There is another remarkable quality of the human mind. Those who have suffered deeply sometimes develop an understanding of others that cannot be learned simply by reading about suffering. They recognize sadness behind a smile. They understand why someone may struggle to trust or why an old memory can suddenly become painful again. Their experiences may help them show patience and compassion to someone carrying a similar burden. Paul wrote:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).

Notice that Paul gives the glory to God, the source of our comfort. He does not call suffering good simply because someone may eventually help another person. The wrong remains wrong, but God can bring comfort into a life that has been deeply wounded. He can also use the understanding gained through hardship to help someone else who feels alone.

Still, we should never tell a hurting Christian that his continuing pain must serve some hidden purpose known only to God. We do not know why some prayers for relief seem to go unanswered. Paul asked the Lord three times to remove his thorn in the flesh, but the Lord directed him to the sufficiency of His grace (2 Corinthians 12:7–10). Scripture does not identify Paul's thorn as an emotional wound, so we should not make that claim. What we can learn is that a faithful servant of God may continue living with a burden while depending upon God's grace.

That does not mean we should refuse help, stop praying for relief, or assume that healing is impossible. Some people experience significant healing even after many years. Others find that the memories remain but become easier to bear. We should welcome the comfort, wise counsel, and care that can help someone live with less pain. Seeking that help is not a rejection of faith.

For Christians who have carried wounds most of their lives, Revelation 21:4 offers something greater than the promise of becoming better at coping. It tells us that our suffering has an end. God does not promise merely to teach us how to hide our tears. He promises to wipe them away. There will be no more death, no more mourning, no more crying, and no more pain. The things that have brought sorrow throughout human history will belong to the past.

Until that day, we may continue carrying memories that hurt. We may still have moments when sadness returns, even after years of trusting the Lord. We can acknowledge that pain without questioning the goodness of God or pretending our faith has failed. We can thank Him for the remarkable resilience of the mind He created, for His grace in sustaining us, and for the compassion He enables us to show others.

God never promised that being human would be painless. But He has promised His people a future in which pain will no longer exist.

And when that day comes, there will be no more wounds to hide, no more tears to hold back, and no more sorrow to endure.

To God be the glory.

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“What I write is not for everyone, but what I write is meant for someone.” – Dean Butler

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