Don't Waste Your Pain

The following is a modified version of John Piper’s introduction and main points of “Don’t Waste Your Cancer.” Piper wrote this after being diagnosed with prostate cancer and on the eve of his surgery. The Bible consistently points us to the reality that God uses and even brings sickness and trial (pain) to make us more like Jesus (sanctification). For His children He works all things together for their good (Rom. 8:28). Piper attempts to challenge us that, while it is appropriate to pray for healing or deliverance, it is quite possible to waste so much of what God graciously has in store for us in the midst of our pain. I have shaped the ten points that he made to a more general application – from cancer to pain of all sorts. After each point, I have included the original point that applies specifically to cancer. I have also included some Scripture that relates to each point. You can read “Don’t Waste Your Cancer” here.

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I write this to those who are facing a trial or crisis in their life—big or small; physical, spiritual, relational or emotional. I believe in God’s power to deliver from pain—by miracle and by medicine. I believe it is right and good to pray for both kinds of deliverance. Trials of all kinds are not wasted when God miraculous or providentially takes it away and delivers a person from affliction (Psalm 34). He gets the glory and that is why trials of all kind exist. So not to pray for deliverance may waste your pain. But deliverance or healing is not God’s plan for everyone. And there are many other ways to waste your pain. I am praying for myself and for you that we will not waste our pain.

1. You will waste your pain if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.
Romans 8:28; Job 1:21-22; 42:11 2 Cor. 12:7-10
You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.

2. You will waste your pain if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.
Romans 5:1-5; 8:1; 8:18-39; Psalm 84:11; James 1:2-5, 1 Peter 1:3-9
You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.

3. You will waste your pain if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.
Psalm 20:7; 2 Cor. 1:9; 2 Chron. 16
You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.

4. You will waste your pain if you refuse to think about death.
Eccl. 7:2; Psalm 90:12
You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.

5. You will waste your pain if you think that “overcoming” the trial means deliverance from the painful circumstances rather than cherishing Christ.
Philippians 3:8; 1:21; 2 Cor. 12:7-10; Col. 1:24
You will waste your cancer if you think that “beating” cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.

6. You will waste your pain if you spend too much time reading about your pain and not enough time reading about the Answer to All Problems—God.
Hosea 6:3; Daniel 11:32; Psalm 1; Psalm 34:5
You will waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading about cancer and not enough time reading about God.

7. You will waste your pain if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your relationships with manifest affection.
Phil. 2:26-27; 1:21-26; Psalm 34
You will waste your cancer if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your relationships with manifest affection.

8. You will waste your pain if you grieve as those who have no hope.
1 Thess. 4:13; 2 Cor. 5:8; 2 Cor. 1:7; Romans 8:18
You will waste your cancer if you grieve as those who have no hope.

9. You will waste your pain if you treat sin as casually as before.
Psalm 119:67; 71; 1 Peter 4:1-2
You will waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as before.

10. You will waste your pain if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.
Luke 21:12-23; 1 Cor. 10:31; Phil. 4:22; Romans 4:18-20
You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.