Sympathy Pain - All Our Daily Bread Daily Devotionals for 2025

Bible in a Year : Isaiah 23-25, Philippians 1

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2

Today's Scripture & Insight : 1 Corinthians 12:21-26

When I injured my ring finger, I expected months of pain before regaining its full function. As I practiced the prescribed exercises, the finger next to it began to throb, so I consulted my doctor. “Sympathy pain,” he said. A branching between the nerves of the ring and pinky fingers causes dependence on one another. If one finger hurts, the other aches in sympathy.

The apostle Paul uses the human body to illustrate the uniqueness and unity of God’s people. In 1 Corinthians 12:21-26, he reinforces how valuable each individual member is to the healthy functioning of the whole. Then he turns his attention to the unity achieved when we connect with each other: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (v. 26). His description of the church’s interconnectedness is echoed in these verses, as we ought to “mourn with those who mourn,” and “carry each other’s burdens” (Romans 12:15; Galatians 6:2).

Today, as I extend my hand to greet someone or grab a spoon to prepare a meal for guests, I notice the strain in both my ring finger and my pinky. The various parts of our physical bodies work together to express pain and to strengthen each other toward health. I thank God that He reveals our need for connection to each other in His spiritual body, the church, through sympathy pain.

By: Elisa Morgan

Reflect & Pray
How is God inviting you to suffer with another in order to strengthen you both? How have others suffered with you?

Dear God, please help me be open to Your invitation to suffer with my brothers and sisters that we might all be strengthened.