Apr 24, 2019
Barb Green, Parish Nurse
Milton, WI
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. An additional 20 million experience severe pain that limits their normal movement and activities.
All of us experience pain at some time in our lives. For most, the pain lingers for a short while and then is gone and forgotten. Others suffer from pain that is ongoing and leads nowhere. Labor pain results in a baby; exercise pain leads to fitness and health. Chronic pain has no end goal; sufferers struggle to see God at work behind the endless pain.
Chronic suffering is like white noise, always on in the background of your life. Many times it is invisible and those who suffer do so silently. Chronic pain hurts, not just because of the physical sensations, but because of other things that tag along: insomnia, depression, anxiety, social isolation, and misinterpretations on the part of others. These problems are difficult to communicate.
Sufferers wonder about calling their pain “chronic.” If they do are they giving up on the possibility of getting better? Should they keep asking for prayer over and over for the same thing? Will they be one of those people whose names show up regularly in the church bulletin among the sick and suffering? Most of all they want to live a normal life.
In addition to the physical or mental pain, chronic pain takes a toll on relationships and on a person’s sense of self. There may also be deep spiritual pain. Where is God when we don’t experience healing? Has He abandoned us? Has the church forgotten us?
One difficulty with chronic pain is that other people instinctively want to offer solutions even when the person isn’t asking for them. They don’t want to just listen and really hear the story with no agenda beyond being an attentive listener and practicing the ministry of presence. False ideas about chronic pain interfere with people’s ability to listen gracefully. These include:
• ALL PAIN IS FIXABLE—You just need to keep looking for a cure. The fact is that chronic pain is often not curable. The cause may be known but the treatment may cause new problems. Insisting that there has to be a reason and asking questions such as: “Are you harboring unforgiveness?” or “What is God punishing you for?” are certainly not helpful.
• TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AND DOCTORS ARE JUST INTERESTED IN YOUR MONEY—What you really need is this diet, supplements, acupuncture, chiropractic or other forms of alternative medicine. These may indeed be helpful but the person who is suffering is the expert on what they have tried and what works.
• I DON’T BELIEVE IN TAKING MEDICATIONS—they are dangerous. This makes the person feel as if their treatment choices are unorthodox, a matter of wrong beliefs. Often they are only able to function because of medications prescribed.
• DEPENDENCE AND LIMITATIONS ARE PROBLEMS—It is best to overcome them and be independent. The Bible reminds us that we all are dependent on God’s provision and that we flourish best when we help each other. For many with chronic pain, learning to accept and accommodate their dependence (on others for help, on assistive devices, on medications) and limitations is a necessary step in crafting fulfilling lives in spite of the pain.
The Bible has a lot to say about pain and weakness, and therefore a lot to say to those who are in pain. There is power in weakness. Embracing our God-given interdependence and human limitations helps us discover the abundant life God intends for us. Those in chronic pain need to be supported for the hard work they do to live satisfying lives with pain. They need the continued help and support of family, friends, and the church. They need to be accepted, not as a person who is ill, but as a child of God. A future article will talk about specific ways this can be done.
—Adapted from Church Health Reader, winter 2019