Pain

 Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!" And God granted what he asked.
1 Chronicles 4:10 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1ch.4.10.ESV

Poor Jabez's name means 'pain'. Presumably his mum had an especially painful labour with him! The previous verse however says he was more honourable than his siblings.

I love his prayer, which according to my reading of the Hebrew transliteration into English seems to be that he asked God that he wouldn't be a pain. You can imagine his less honourable siblings mocking him for his name. He didn't want to live up to his name however.

Most parents give their children positive names, that children then have to try and live up to. Jabez however strove his whole life not to be a pain, instead that he might be successful in all he did.

In a way our forefather and mother Adam and Eve have a lot to answer for when it comes to our painful existences. We, like Jabez however, can cry out to God that our lives wouldn't be defined by inevitable pain, but by supernatural blessing. If God answered Jabez, we can trust He will answer us too.

'God of Israel, may our lives be defined by blessing rather than pain. May we be blessings to others rather than to cause pain. In Christ's name we pray, amen'

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