No one likes pain unless she’s a masochist or mentally ill. But I am talking about normal people—I am assuming we still have some standards we can consider somewhat universal. So the average person does not like pain. The existence of painkillers which doctors prescribe is a sure indicator that most of us prefer not to have it and doctors who are scientists agree.
But these same doctors, while they practice their medicine to get us well or healed, would often, if not always ask us (the patients), “where do you feel pain or discomfort?”
And why would they do so? Common understanding is that pain indicates something is wrong. Since it was not there before, then it means that something went wrong. As a result, we have the view that pain can be seen as positive in this sense—it tells us when we are to fix something and at times, which specific thing needs fixing.
Sometimes we do not even know what health problem we have, or that one existed in us, until pain begins giving out signals. This is indeed good pain—we may not like it at all for the misery, not mere discomfort, we experience. But no one will argue that the existence of the pain is helpful when something goes wrong.
But without signals as with these types of pain, there can be no effective preparations to save lives; to stop or prevent disasters, to avoid property damages or at least minimize, the level or size of destructiveness.
Can you imagine, if we do not feel pain and we have a tact or piece of glass or sharp object stuck in our bodies? We would be bleeding continuously and not know it. It may even be detrimental and we would be unaware that our lives are at risk. So we do need to have this pain and to feel it. But there are other times, we violate laws of nature or of good relationships and we bring emotional and other pain in our lives. Bad pain. This kind of pain we must do our very best to avoid. No one wants it. But Jesus says, we will have tribulations or problems in our lives, as we cannot stop it. But when we do have it, seek him and we can find peace (John 16:33).