I was recently reminded by a friend of our childhood fear of being a missionary. Missionaries lived in the jungle and ate insects and were frequently killed by head hunters. Missionaries had to leave behind all their normal clothes and dress like the natives. Missionaries didn't have access to medical supplies or doctors or dentists or anesthesia. Missionaries were put in prison and tortured. They didn't marry and if they did marry, their spouses were killed in some horrific way.
I knew a lot about missionaries. I gathered all my information from our church's dramatizations in the 90's and the repeated story of Nate Saint and Joni Eareckson Tada and a book called Jesus Freaks by DC Talk and Voice of the Martyrs. I knew about missionaries. And while the glory and adventure of their lives excited me, I was really quite terrified of what God might call me to do. Couldn't I follow God and not get killed? Couldn't I follow God and still have a house and a husband and some nice kids and presents for Christmas and an occasional visit to the Montage Resort and Spa for a $10 cup of tea?
I realize that missionaries don't always live such extreme lives, but the fear still remains. If I decide to commit to the Lord whole-heartedly, what will he ask me to give up? Everything I own? My children? My health? Netflix? All our savings?
The more I examine the world, the more I see that lives that are not committed to the Lord aren't pain free either. There's no guarantee against car accidents, drug-addicted kids, cancer, COVID, tornadoes, fires, hurricanes, scams, identity theft, miscarriages, birth-defects, water-shortages, inflation, market crashes, broken-into cars, depression, unjust lawsuits, immoral leaders, riots . . . do I need to go on?
The truth of the matter is there is no life free of pain and suffering. But there is the life without peace and joy and hope in the midst of suffering. That sort of life is the one that is unmeasurably miserable.
You see, one person could undergo all sorts of trials and troubles and still be at peace within because they have anchored themselves to the Lord. Another person could have everything their heart desired and commit suicide because they had died inside long before they took their own life.
Every choice we make determines whether our inner life grows strong and vibrant and full of God's spirit, or it shrivels and cracks in upon itself taking one more step towards an eternal death. The inner death is far more terrible than the outer death. That is the one thing to avoid at all costs.
So the best way to avoid physical pain and suffering is not by trying to avoid pain and suffering but by finding what can give you peace and joy and hope in the midst of earthly pain and suffering. Then when difficult times come, and they will come, you are not tossed by them. Your house, figuratively-speaking, isn't smashed to pieces but stands like a beautiful beacon of hope and joy and courage to all those who see it.
More on pain and suffering: An Apology of Pain & The Problem of Pain &Lemmings, Cliffs, & Gravity
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