Suffering is Promised

by Stella Whalen

Most people try and escape life with the least amount of pain possible. And I don't blame them; mental, physical, and emotional pain is disabling when it consumes our minds and thoughts. We wish we could coast through life effortlessly with no tears, no setbacks and no heartbreak. Growing up I thought that some had accomplished this quest of a painless life. They had everything I wanted: success in school, talent in sports, natural beauty, name-brand clothes, popularity, etc. I didn't think there was any way that the people who had all of that could also be hurting. I realize now that they had merely perfected the skill of hiding their hurt.

Drawing of a crown of thorns. 
The truth is that pain is guaranteed and suffering is promised. Everyone will experience sorrow in their lifetime. It may come in different forms and shorter or longer timespans but it is inevitable. As I've admitted in my previous post, I am an extreme optimist. This post so far has been coated in pessimism, but I believe the most effective form of communication comes in honesty.  

In the business of athletics, I think people do a poor job of proactively preparing an athlete for mental, emotional, and physical pain. It's the elephant in every room. Coaches, trainers and parents hope that an injury or mental setback will bypass their athletes. However, as the athletes, we signed up for the possible outcomes of our sport whether they be positive or negative. 

When we look at the Gospels of the Bible, we see how Jesus endured the ultimate level of suffering just to save our souls from eternal pain. Our temporary pain of injury isn't comparable to the death Jesus died for us on the cross. In Romans 5:3-5 it says, "Rejoice in your sufferings because suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope, and hope in Jesus never fails." We are guaranteed to suffer in this life, but it's what we do in the suffering that defines our purpose as athletes. When our hope is placed in Jesus, He will never fail us as He is the one who holds our future. 

Works Cited:
NCAA: Mind, Body and Sport: How being injured affected mental health
Bible Gateway: Romans 5:3-5
Photo Credit: freepik.com


Comments

  1. COFFEE AIRPORTNovember 14, 2023 at 8:25 AM

    I also believe that the most effective communication comes from honesty. However, in life, you often encounter people whose thoughts don't align with yours. It's almost impossible to change their minds. In fact, there are also those who use my information for their personal gain. Depending on whether someone is truly valuable to me or not, there are times when I feel I should use my honesty and times when I shouldn't. Perhaps even in the midst of difficulties, there's a saying to find joy. It seems that, even when facing wounds in situations and with people I believed in, we should be grateful for our lives. I tend to believe that life is always free, and i always have the choice of my mind rather than change others.

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