“Redeemed pain is more impressive than removed pain.” 

Philip Yancey shared that statement and the reasoning behind it on the latest episode of the Renovaré Podcast with Nathan Foster.

The theme of human pain and suffering which emerged for this week’s content wasn’t planned — not by me, anyway. But I trust the Spirit is at work to meet those reading who are dealing with suffering. Perhaps that’s you.

The Charismatic Tradition, our focus this month, often places an emphasis on miraculous healing. That puts us at an interesting crossroads of pain and healing, an intersection which raises big questions that this tiny intro and tiny author are ill-equipped to address. But here’s what I know.

Jesus is the clearest picture of God available to us. That makes the Gospels the best place to see God’s perspective on suffering.

There we see that while even Jesus learned obedience through suffering, there is never a sense that he desired to prolong anyone’s suffering so that person could ​“learn a lesson.” Quite the opposite. He was Compassion in the flesh. He healed everyone who came to him. 

In short, Jesus reveals that God is pro-healing. 

Then why are so many people not healed? That’s one of those big questions with which all must wrestle. 

I will say that unless there is a roaringly clear Divine ​“no,” we can and should pray for healing in Jesus’ name. And the Gospel accounts give us confidence that these prayers are indeed in his name — that is, in line with his character and desires. We can also in Jesus’ name support all human efforts to alleviate suffering.

And then, if healing delays, we choose to be present without platitudes or presumption to those who are in pain, as Richard Foster encourages. And though these words are probably best unspoken to the person in pain, we hold hope in our hearts that when all is said and done God will have wasted nothing.