The Good Side of DiscomfortBy Lexi Cole Ellis
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
The first trimester of my pregnancy was one of excitement mixed with some intense exhaustion and nausea. And yet, I experienced the strangest paradox of feelings. As much as I hated throwing up, every time it happened, it also confirmed the likelihood that the baby was healthy and growing. As much as I thoroughly disliked the discomfort of the nausea, it helped settle the anxiety I had about miscarrying during that first trimester.
Have you noticed how God uses discomfort for His glory? In Scripture, sometimes imperfect men and women experienced discomfort due to the consequences of their sin and bad choices, like Miriam or David. But sometimes, the discomfort is merely because of testing or the effects of living in a broken world, like Job or Hannah.
For me, the more powerful truth isn’t that discomfort exists, but that God is big enough to use the tragedies and discomforts in our lives to bring us closer to Him. And beyond that, in His goodness, to refine us to be more like Him.
How big and powerful a God we serve that He uses pain and sorrow to remind us of the richness of His love and the power of His grace! How amazing is our God that He enters the mess with us, and uses it to be our Savior of comfort and peace. Sometimes the good side of discomfort comes from the process of being refined into becoming more dependent on God. Other times, the good side of discomfort is revealed in the midst of the fire, as we draw nearer to our Creator.
Part of me would love to not experience the nausea. And yet, it was a reminder of the goodness that our baby was healthy. I’m thankful for the reminder that sometimes the discomfort we experience is, in part, a way to grow in Christlikeness, and to remind us of His comfort and steadfastness. I’m grateful for the good part of discomfort.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Think about the (current or past) discomfort in your life or a loved one’s life. How is God using it for good?
FURTHER READING: Psalm 38: 18; Revelation 21:4; 1 Peter 4:12-16
Lexi and her husband, Andrew, have an adorable dog named Calvin and are expecting their first child in June 2018. She teaches sixth grade Reading & Writing, serves with Children’s Ministries, and is the Fresh Start Coordinator.
