DON’T WASTE YOUR PAIN

“There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none… And because the Lord had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.” 1 Sam 1:1-7 NIV

The journey of life takes us through various paths at various times; giving us a mixture of experiences as we go on. Each time I read the story of the birth of Samuel, what comes to mind is that without provocation, Samuel might never have been born. Life might have gone on if Peninah had accommodated Hannah’s lack of children and released her own children to serve her. Peninah could have even been telling Hannah not to worry but to accept God’s verdict since her own children are around to help Hannah as well. Bur rather, for the fact that Hannah had no children, Peninah provoked her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year! Peninah was really so mean and gave Hannah no breathing space. She must have called her various unprintable names and rubbed her deficiency all over her face to the point Hannah could take it no more.

It is appalling how people could treat others with the privileged information they have about them. I wonder if outsiders equally rubbished Hannah for her lack of children. I do not think so; as this was not stated. It was the closest person to her who taunted her life so much; a person Hannah felt should be able to give her a shoulder to lean on especially being a woman herself.

The Goodnews translation used the phrase “Peninah would torment and humiliate her because the Lord had kept her childless”. How do we treat others that do not have the privileges or opportunities that we have? How do we handle the privilege information we have about others? Is it to torment and humiliate them with their seeming “deficiencies”? Is it to make matters worse for them by the things we say and how we say them? This was a pain in the heart of Hannah, to the point she could bear it no longer: she turned to God in prayer. That was a good step Hannah took. She left Peninah and her pains aside and took her own matter to God.

Sometimes, the very experience that causes us pain becomes the catalyst that drives us into God’s presence. Peninnah’s provocation brought Hannah to a point of earnest prayer, and the child born out of that season became Samuel, a prophet who played a significant role in Israel’s history. What if Hannah had allowed her pain to consume her without seeking God? The Bible does not tell us what would have happened, but her story shows us what happened when she poured out her heart before Him.

Your pain may not be your choice, but what you do with it can make a difference. Don’t waste your pain.

God can use even painful circumstances to draw us closer to Him and bring about His purposes so we must be careful how we manage such circumstances. Your pain may not be your choice, but what you do with it can make a difference. Don’t waste your pain. Take it to God, seek His wisdom, and allow Him to shape your response. What the enemy intends to use to break you may become the very thing that drives you to your knees, deepens your faith, and positions you to fulfil God’s purpose.

May God help us to channel our pains aright and not waste them. May He work with them to birth great purposes in and through us. May we not crush under the weight of whatever unpleasant circumstances God allows us to pass through as we journey on in life. May our pains work for His purpose and His glory. May the Lord give us new songs regardless of whatever unpleasant experiences we pass through. Amen!

©Funmi Adebayo