Dr. Brand said, “One of the great things about pain is that it so often brings us back to God.” Why is pain sometimes necessary in your life for that spiritual return to occur?

This is one of my biggest obstacles with my walk with Christ. I get complacent, and wonder, “why do I need Him” when all is going so well. There is nothing bad, really, in my life, nothing earth shattering, so what is the point? But the pain of whatever – son having cancer, wife needing brain surgery makes me realize I cannot lose sight of God, even in the best of times

When everything in my life is going well, I tend to lose sight of God and my need for him. I depend on myself and my own resources. Pain points me back to His presence and my need for dependence on Him.

I think just like the Israelites took God for granted, when we are continually blessed we can fall into being like them. Unfortunately, it often requires us to get to a ditch in life to really turn back to God.

Sometimes we need to be woken back up. We get comfortable when things are going well. When we experience the pain, it reminds us that God is present and we need Him.

I think without pain, we would just continue on and feel like we don’t need to rely on God, or in the case of sin, not correct our behavior.

I believe sometime pain has to brought in our lives to open our eyes that we are not alone and do not have control over everything. It opens us back up to see that there is a higher power in life and often helps us to regain our relationship with God to ease that pain knowing that our God is with us.

Thinking about the last lesson (affliction and salvation) I say, if there is no affliction in my life, I won’t think about salvation. Therefore, I won’t think about Jesus. My afflictions make me think that I need Jesus. I cannot make it on my own.

We need to be reminded the ultimately God is the only one in control.

Like a refiners fire sometimes we need that pain to refine our souls and to set us back on the righteous path.

When things are going smoothly we feel like we are in control. We do. Ot feel like we need God. When we are suffering we realize that we are not in control. We need God to give us strength. We want God to work things out.

Pain takes us to the bottom of the pit. The only way our is with something bigger than ourselves. God is the only way to get out of the pit. Pain is the reminder that we can’t do things on our own, that we need God. Pain is necessary to help up remember we are not alone and have help.