Painful old years and powerful new years

Dr. Ramesh Richard is the founder and president of RREACH and a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. I asked him to write his thoughts on the topic of pain and asked him for the encouragement of hope as we exit a difficult year and enter a new one.

Here are his thoughts: The number one request I receive after speaking is: “Can we have your PowerPoint?” You know PowerPoint presentations have become ubiquitous for communicators. To visually oriented audiences, PowerPoint slides help move a presentation forward, aid comprehension, and enhance memory of significant points.

Traveling to remote places as I do, PowerPoint presentations too can become points of pain. Once, my international hosts assured me they had PowerPoint before an event. When I reached the classroom, they pointed me to the electrical power outlet on the wall!

Whether real or perceived, life’s problems often linger and cause true discomfort. The last 24 months have been filled with pain all over the world. Entrepreneurs call these problems “pain points” – and see them as opportunities. The Bible, too, sees a pain point as an opportunity to manifest its power.

A surprise gift of physical pain made for an intense three weeks, not yet fully past when I penned these thoughts originally. Before speaking, this gift of great physical discomfort forced me to slip into the restroom for a moment of privacy to rehearse biblical convictions in my loudest whisper: “Your power is made perfect in my weakness; Your power will be revealed in my weakness; Your grace will be sufficient for the assignment.” God gave me grace just enough to address a small group of 30 influential opinion leaders.

We can let our pain points remain problems or allow them to become points of power – power points that present God’s strength and presence better than their audiovisual cousins. And they don’t need electrical networks or special projection. However, this kind of “power points” may take even more understanding than mere presentation tools can offer. Rather than us being trained to use PowerPoint, these power points train us.

The Book of Hebrews notes, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (12:1, NIV).

Trained by powerful pain, we can be productive for God in teaching others the lessons we have learned from experiencing pain over the last two years into the new year.

If we want the pain to be more than a stubborn, lingering problem, we must allow it to point us to God and His Word.

Let me share a PowerPoint teaching outline on what I am learning in the potential power of pain. In this way, we can prepare to harness any pain points we will experience in the upcoming year and harvest them for righteousness and peace into power points. First to learn, and then to teach.

Pain Connects:

Me to my human limitations as frail, mortal, and impermanent.

Me to my fellow-sufferers with understanding and compassion.

Me to God in expectant prayer for healing and intervention.

Me to certain Scriptures and biographies in a more alert manner.

Pain Cleanses:

Me from dependence on idols.

Me from all kinds of pride.

Me from known sins through confession.

Pain Corrects:

My Attitudes – like ingratitude, discontent, fear, resignation.

My Values – have I unintentionally accepted worldly values?

My Behavior – pinpoints my rationalizations.

My Misperceptions –including wrong theology.

My Anxietie – Will I trust the God who loves me?

Pain Clarifies:

My Beliefs – On what truths am I concentrating?

My Activities –Am I engaged in the right mix?

My Priorities – What if pain should linger?

My Motives – Am I stealing God’s glory in any way?

My Adjustments – How do I adjust to loss?

Pain Confirms:

God’s providence in timing and intensity.

The Father’s goodness.

Christ’s presence.

The Holy Spirit’s power for resolve and triumph.

God’s inner supply of grace, joy, peace, and hope.

Pain teaches and trains me to know God – Its greatest spiritual advantage towards my deepest spiritual ministry.

In our environment, where “no pain, no pain” is a life value, pain points are inevitable reminders of our earthliness. One of the ways God prevents us from confusing earth for heaven is through pain. We shall never seek pain, even for its benefits, but Pain Points shall powerfully train us.

Pain is more than a disciplinarian for a teacher; it is a trainer, producing a harvest for those trained by it. Though pain is unpleasant for the moment, the unpleasant power of pain is defeated when the productive power of pain is harvested.

From a painful set of past years, let’s have powerful new years.

And this is his message of encouragement. Thank you, Dr. Richard.

(Francis Kong’s podcast “Inspiring Excellence” is now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or other podcast streaming platforms).