To the woman God said: I will intensify your toil in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over your.
To the man God said: Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, You shall not eat from it, Cursed is the ground because of you! In toil you shall eat its yield all the day of your life. Thorns and thistles it shall bear for you, and you shall eat the grass of the field. By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread.
Genesis 3:16-19b
While on the surface the above looks like vengeance on God’s part is actually an act of mercy. Sin brings necessary consequences. God honors us enough to give us choices that carry weight and meaning. The penalties mentioned in the verses above flow from the choices, but also help to reinforce a need for God. The hard work and toil remind them of their need to depend upon God and to trust in his word.
God allows us to suffer the consequences and pain of our sin. Experiencing this pain can help us to repent and turn back to him, the only source of what is beautiful, good and true.
What sins in your life have brought you pain? Confess them to God today. Thank you for his mercy and grace.