Out of all the Orthodox I have spoken to; priests, monks, sisters, layman, I don’t think I have ever met anyone who would pray that prayer: “Give me more pain!” while going through trials or illnesses. Very often I hear the opposite “Lord, take this away from me or heal me!” After all, we are human and we certainly don’t like pain or trials, but what if I told you pain is our medicine in this fallen world. What if I told you that sickness, suffering and pain are beneficial to the Orthodox Christian and not just the bad luck of the draw. How would your entire worldview change if you were to consider that sickness, trials, tribulations and pain are a token of God’s love for you? One thing I know for certain, when I understood this idea that sickness, pain, and trials are both medicine and a token of His love for me, my whole world changed!

Beloved, all things come from the Lord, even your trials and sicknesses come from Him, not to crush you or to destroy you, but to teach you, train you, and give you the opportunity to draw closer to Him. Do not be depressed or downcast when you think of your infirmities but understand they are a sign of God’s mercy toward you, rather than His displeasure. Everything that comes from God is for our good. He reminds us through hardships and pain that we can use our mortality for our immortality. May the Lord grant us patience and contentment in our trials and deliver us from the sin of grumbling.

We know that God also provides doctors and medicines to help us heal from our infirmities and yes, these are a gift from God for us, seeing as how we are subject to different diseases and illnesses in the fallen world. However, there are some sicknesses which the Lord forbids us to heal, if He sees that the sickness will be more conducive to our salvation than health. Give thanks to the Lord because everything that comes from Him is for our good. Give thanks while you are sick knowing He is right there with you and when you have recovered give thanks again. In EVERYTHING give thanks to the Lord.

Sickness and pain are teachers, they teach us humility, patience, and to have courage in the face of them. Whatever you are going through right now I pray God might grant you the grace to bear it. Seek courage for yourself in recalling the patience of all the saints, especially the martyrs, in those moments when your suffering gets worse. How much did they endure and with such courage? We are all running our own race down here in this world, but we are not alone, we have never been alone, and many who have run the race before us are cheering us on! For everyone must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).

My beloved Orthodox Christians do not lose heart. Fight the good fight of faith no matter the circumstances you are in because how you handle pain and sickness is different than the way the world does. So, if pain and illness is your lot right now, give thanks to God and suffer through it bravely asking, “what are you teaching me Lord?” not, “Why are you doing this to me?” And He has promised us a victor’s crown through suffering because it is impossible to ascend to that point without suffering.

Lord, we don’t have the gift of suffering, but if pain is for our benefit, then teach us and help us to suffer well, as Orthodox Christians.

GOD LOVE YOU!

Published on rocana.org in July 2025