There’s this eye-opening interview of a woman from Nigeria, a devoted Christian who has spearheaded a worship ministry in their church amidst the barbaric slaughtering of fellow believers in her beloved country. During the interview, she let out a remark that cut straight to the heart: “Our response to pain is worship.”
My heart completely melted at those very words she spoke. And I am sure, all God-loving Christians felt the same stirring in their Spirit upon hearing such a rousing, insightful declaration of faith from someone who’s deeply scarred by the atrocities done to her own people.
At that very moment, I felt God speak to the entire church through that woman: ‘Our Response to Pain Is Worship.’
It reminds us that we, as Christians, are one in soul and one in Spirit, as we’re one in Christ. You see—when our Shepherd speaks, we hear it loud and clear—it pierces the heart.
Worship Is Always on Their Lips
Those very words reminded me of the Apostle Paul. He worshiped God while being shackled in chains— in that lonely, dark, tiny, cramped dungeon, soiled with his own waste. He encouraged and prodded believers to “rejoice in the Lord always,” all while detained in the oppressive gloom of the dungeon, defiled, deprived, and stripped bare of comforts.
God’s faithful servants from antiquity to modern times have raised the bar on how to deal with pain and struggles. From Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets, the Apostle Paul, to the suffering servants of our time, worship never leaves their lips even in the midst of their trials. Some were killed, some with broken bones, bruised flesh, and experienced hunger gnawing at their guts, yet they remained faithful and never stopped uttering words of praise to glorify God.
We must admit that some have voiced complaints or questioned God, but one thing they never did—they never turned their backs on Him. Praise was ever on their lips, glorifying God even when life hit harder than they could handle. They felt empowered to worship and embraced life with grateful hearts despite their circumstances.
The question is: is it even possible for us regular folks to do the same? To rejoice and worship the Lord in our darkest hours? When we’re clueless about when the next meal will come, when our purse is empty and bills looming in neat little rows on our desk, lose the only job keeping our family afloat, or perhaps lose the one we love most, or be afflicted with a terrible illness— can we still rejoice in the Lord amidst agonizing pain?
On our own, we can’t, but with God’s help, we can. Never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within us.
The Power of Worship
God’s faithful servants taught us that the tougher the days are, when shadows grow longer than we expect, the deeper, richer, and fuller our worship should be. It’s our weapon–our quiet act of resistance against the darkness.
Responding to pain with worship takes spiritual maturity. Quite often, whether we want to admit it or not, the act of worship takes the last spot on our list when life is hard. Suddenly, worshiping God, an act that used to come naturally, becomes a real struggle. Hasn’t it always been the case for most of us that when crushing pain lays us bare, we’re more inclined to disappear into a corner, sulking, curling up in agony as we wrestle with a tide of complex emotions: crippling fear, sharp anger, waves of deep sadness can consume us all at the same time. And that’s okay. We’re human. God understands that we’re dust and can’t hold up when the stakes are high.
However, we must not forget who we are in Christ. We do not live without hope. We have God on our side, leading us through the thorny path until we get to the other side, finding our way to smoother ground.
Remember how God’s faithful servants savored victory after they refused to yield to fear by worshiping God in the midst of their suffering. They know victory draws near when hearts turn to worship: Daniel was spared from being devoured by lions, Paul and Silas were freed from prison, and the list just kept growing. So, let’s remember that it’s when our pain scorches like fire that we should all the more strive to rebuild and pick ourselves up through the transformative power of worship.
Recognizing the Power of the Holy Spirit Alive in You
And that same Spirit that empowered God’s servants from ancient times to worship Him even while in the thick of suffering, the One who resurrected Jesus from the dead, is the same Spirit that lives within you and me today.
That’s why persecuted Christians across the world were able to endure to the point of death. They did not renounce their faith; they did not stop attending church, even when it was the safest and most convenient thing to do. On their own, they could not have been that brave. It’s the Spirit of God that’s within them that kept them steadfast in their faith, allowing them to keep going even when all seemed lost.
You Are Braver Than You Think
And therefore, you, too, can thrive and remain faithful as they did when faced with daunting hardships. We have the Spirit of the Lord within us— so let’s be fearless.
The death of martyrs is not defeat but a resounding victory. We are not of this world. We don’t have the spirit that inhabits the world, and therefore, we must view things through the eyes of God. We have a God and a place to come home to, and so we live with hope and joyful expectations of what’s to come. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV
Most of us have gone through debilitating heartaches. We know that no one will leave this world unscathed because God Himself said so: “In this world, you will have troubles.” Upon hearing that, it may sound more like a pill that’s hard to swallow. It’s not. Jesus wrapped it up with an uplifting, reassuring note: “But take heart, for I have overcome the world.”
It’s an encouraging statement that gives us the reason to greet pain not with desperation and anger but with worship. To sing words of praise even when the heart breaks and tears pour, encumbered by the challenges that often push us to our limits.
God’s faithful servant knows full well that the moment they’re at the end of their rope, when they can’t bear to handle their burdens, God comes for them. That’s why Jesus told us not to fear because through every storm, He is our lifeline. It’s not easy, but God will make the struggle tolerable for us so that we may endure the days ahead.
God understands our limits. Didn’t the Lord send an angel to feed Elijah and encourage him when the prophet wished to die, as he couldn’t go on anymore?
The Message to Our Generation
The proper response to pain is worship.
I believe it’s God’s timely message to us all as we journey through one of the darkest and most difficult seasons our world has ever experienced. Massive unemployment due to AI, crooked and perverse ideologies being touted and championed by the majority, violent acts being perpetrated against Christians in many different countries, even in the West, where pastors and Christian school teachers are being arrested for standing firm with what the Scripture teaches. And the list goes on.
So when our world seems to be sinking into chaos and immorality, worshiping God is a powerful weapon we can wield to shed light into the darkness that threatens us.
Victory Follows Where Worship Leads
If you’re going through searing trials, you can slam your hand on the table in anger or in pain if you must. But don’t let anger and resentment sit in your heart. Let’s pull ourselves together, snap out of whatever riles us up, the sooner, the better. By doing so, we can begin to worship God because, my friend, victory draws near when our hearts turn to worship.
Photo credit:©GettyImages/Boonyachoat
