Comfort can make us indifferent toward God, but we shouldn’t’t assume that pain is always the right solution. Consider the well-known scene of the two criminals crucified with Jesus. One man confessed his sin and admitted that he deserved his punishment of crucifixion, and he appealed to Jesus’ mercy by asking to be remembered when Jesus’ kingdom comes.

The other criminal also experiencing the horrible pain of crucifixion, however, responded very differently. He railed against Jesus and mocked him. “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” he demanded. He showed no remorse for his crimes and no humility before Jesus. Even at the very end of his life, his heart remained stone hard.

C.S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” The two criminals beside Jesus, however, reveal that not everyone responds to God’s megaphone the same way. One man responded to the pain of his cross with repentance, humility, and a plea for God’s mercy. Pain awakened his desire for God. For the other man, the megaphone of pain only made his heart harder and solidified his contempt for God.

Why do some respond to pain by turning to God and others away from him? I don’t know. The mysteries of the human heart are second only to the mystery of God himself. This much does seem clear pain will not leave us indifferent toward God. It will either make us humble or angry; repentant or rebellious. It will either kindle our love or our hate. How does pain affect your relationship with God?