Morning Brew: Tuesday, Sept 29

What has your pain prepared you for? There is an upside to pain. Isaiah 40:3 is famous because this prophecy finds its fulfillment in the ministry of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:3).

3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Isaiah 40:3

I don’t think anyone would argue that John the Baptist had an easy life. As cool as camel hair jeans might sound, they were not comfortable or hip. As much protein as John the Baptist might have gotten on the locust diet, there were easier ways to watch your waist. John literally came out of the desert. Many think he grew up there, perhaps an orphan from an early age (since his parents were older when he was born), learning to rely on God in the most brutal way. His ministry was intense to say the least, notable for his meteoric rise and his unsettling finish (beheaded in a Roman prison). I’m not sure any Christian would look at his life and say, “I want that!”

So where’s the upside? Pain is harsh, but effective. Pain clarifies your vision. The reason John the Baptist could paint such a stark picture of right and wrong was because pain had shaved off his soft edges and sharpened his gray areas into black and white. He wouldn’t be seduced by the pleasures of this world. Leisure and entertainment held no appeal. He was a man on a mission. His pain clarified his vision.

Pain also deepens your dependence on God. John the Baptist learned to rely on God because God was all he had. He didn’t have a 401k, healthcare plan, or a La-z-Boy to run to. He only had God. When pain strips everything else away, it reminds you that God will never leave you.

Pain isn’t punishment; it’s preparation. God used the pain of the desert to prepare John the Baptist for a ministry that led people to Jesus. His privilege was to “prepare the way for the Lord.” What has your pain prepared you for? Have you allowed your pain to deepen your dependence on God? Have you allowed your pain to clarify God’s vision for your life? Have you allowed pain to strip away everything else, leaving only God?

There is an upside to pain. Pain prepares you for the high calling God has had on you before you took your first breath.

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION: Has God ever used pain to prepare you for something?