We live in a world that resists pain and pursues pleasure. Is it possible, though, that pain and suffering lead to something greater? That there is a bright side of pain and suffering that we may not always see in the midst of our trial, but we always know is there in hindsight.
Anyone who has ever dealt with hardship knows that there is a bright side to it. That there is something positive that comes out of pain. It doesn’t necessarily make it easier to go through, but it should offer us hope in the midst of the struggle.
Purpose in Your Pain
Did you know that there can be purpose in your pain? Did you know that your pain today can be your ministry tomorrow? I believe that God uses your pain for His glory. He doesn’t waste any opportunity to make you into the person He desires you to be. And there is opportunity in your pain to create in you something that wasn’t there before. Look at Paul’s words in Romans 5:
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (ESV)
You see, God doesn’t waste your pain and suffering. He uses it to produce in you:
- Endurance
- Character
- Hope
Now, who couldn’t use more endurance? Who couldn’t use more character? Who couldn’t use more hope? We could all use more of these things. But it takes pain to develop them in us and God knows this.
Without pain, you’ll be lacking. Just see what James 1 says:
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (ESV)
We can have joy in our trials because it produces in us completeness because it brings out steadfastness in us. When you face something today, you’ll be better prepared to remain steadfast if it comes back tomorrow.
Prepared Through Pain
I believe wholeheartedly in this principle: your pain today is preparation for tomorrow.
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I have seen this to be true in my own life. For 4 years I struggled with depression. But God didn’t waste that pain. Today I can relate to people who are going through the depths of depression and are trying to make sense of it all. For 4 years I struggled with the pain of relational hardship with family. Today those relationships are stronger than they ever had been. There is something about pain that refines us. There is something about pain that prepares us.
Your pain today is preparation for tomorrow. You have probably encountered this, but maybe you didn’t notice it. God has used you to speak life to someone who was dealing with the same pain that you have dealt with in the past. “Yeah, me too,” is a powerful statement to say to someone when they are going through pain and suffering.
The next time you are in the midst of pain and suffering, take time and ask God to use it for His glory. We shouldn’t be surprised at this principle because Jesus went through a lot of pain and suffering to give us something we couldn’t earn, something great, something called, grace. There is, after all, a bright side of pain and suffering. Can you see it?
[callout]Living in the midst of a trial right now? Check out the latest podcast episode: What to Do When Life Sucks.[/callout]
