Jabez was more honorable than
his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth
to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of
Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be
with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God
granted his request. 1 Chronicles
4:9-10
Yes, that’s true, but apparently this pain was more
excruciating than normal pain, maybe even life threatening. While mothers like to remind their children
of all the pain they endured to bring them into this world, Jabez’s mom wanted
Jabez to remember what he survived.
Jabez took up the mission in life to live pain free and
sought a close relationship with God, where he could be active and participate
in God’s work. We will all face pain in
this world, but Jabez worked to avoid pain and began by seeking God first in
his life.