“I believe that our deepest pain is often the path to our highest purpose.” – Daniel Beaty
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls” – Kahlil Gibran
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” – 1 Peter 5:10 ESV
Think for a moment about a life void of anything beyond simply living it out the best one could. Think if there were no principles or morals that drove how it was lived and your only task was to get the most out of it as possible. All of your thoughts and actions were based on creating the most positive experiences within a life that you knew down deep was limited and all you had.
How would you embrace the good times – knowing they were precious and fleeting? Since morality had no meaning to you, would you do all you could, even if it was deceptive or dishonest, to manipulate a life that was more pleasurable and fulfilling?
More importantly, how would you deal with the periods of a finite life that brought on great pain and suffering? Would you feel cheated by fate – knowing your limited time was filled with more hardships than pleasure? How would you mentally deal with tragic, accidental death, the incapacitating disability that changed everything, or the tremendous void and loneliness brought about by rejection?
As children of the Most High God, and by the way, we are ALL children of the Most High God whether we embrace that fact or not, we hold fast to the belief of an infinite life – one that stretches across the spectrum of eternity – far before our human minds can remember and long after the confines of this current human existence.
We believe in a God who moves with intentionality and with great purpose – not happenstantial or whimsical or oblivious to all that unfolds, but with a precise clarity and omniscience – an awareness that surpasses all understanding.
This intention and grand purpose were present as He “knit me together in my mother’s womb” and where “all the days ordained for me” were written in His book “before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139: 13-18). This verse describes how EACH OF US were created, my friend 😊
So, if our lives have a created purpose at the center of them, how do we reconcile all the pain, suffering, and hurt? How do we find purpose within those things that seem like horrible mistakes, senseless tragedies, and insurmountable obstacles?
We must embrace these truths found within them:
God is in Control of Each
Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.” – Isaiah 46:10 -11 NLT/NIV
“I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.” – Isaiah 45:7 NIV
“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him,” – Psalm 115:3 NIV
“For from him and through him and for him are all things.” – Romans 11:36 NIV
Our God is not random, reactive, or caught off guard. If all things are “from him” as Paul writes in the Romans verse above, that means the suffering and hurt we experience must be allowed – passing through his sovereign rule over all things on this earth. Therefore, if God has allowed it to enter our lives; he has a loving, ultimate intention behind doing so.
This fact alone is evidence enough of finding purpose in our suffering. If God is in control and has allowed pain and suffering to enter our lives, we can rest assured there is purpose at the center of it.
But what about the Bible verse in Jeremiah that says God’s plans for us are meant for our good – “to “prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)? Certainly hurt, suffering and pain are filled with harm and are far from giving us any kind of hope.
God often uses suffering as an integral part of his prosperous, hope-filled plans for our future. Samson suffered much pain toward the conclusion of his life, but he was victorious over the Philistines in the end. Joseph endured slavery and imprisonment for over a decade but saved a nation with his leadership from starvation and famine as a result. Ruth lost her husband and all she owned, but her life was redeemed by Boaz – becoming the ancestors and lineage of King David and eventually Jesus himself.
Of course, the greatest example of this is found in Christ’s suffering and sacrifice at the cross – conquering death and giving us all the hope of eternal life.
Can you see how God allows pain and suffering with purpose in mind? How does this change your view of the hurts and hardships you face? How are they pushing you toward your destiny? Do you see the personal growth that arises from them? Have you felt the grace and mercy that have sustained you through the anguish, discomfort, and sorrow?
When I look at my own life, I see how the agonizing moments changed me, how they moved me closer to God, and how they molded my spirituality to a much greater extent than if my life would have been filled with ease and comfort.
Often when we are in the middle of distress, we have a hard time seeing any good in it – say nothing about the destined purpose found within it. If this describes you right now my friend, begin by taking steps toward God – moving closer to Him.
“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” – James 4:8 NIV
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” – James 1:5 ESV
I am sure as a blinded Samson was strapped to the millstone and mocked by the Philistines; he saw a ruined life filled with many mistakes. Joseph, as he looked up out of the pit at his brothers who were striking a deal to sell him as a slave, felt more hurt and rejection at the time than purpose. I am confident he saw no destiny or future in a cold, damp prison year after year. Can you imagine how Ruth felt as she mourned her husband’s death – leaving her homeland and heading to a foreign country with her mother-in-law. The sorrow and the uncertainty had to be overwhelming. Even Christ lamented on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” – sensing the Father’s absence in His suffering.
If you are trying to make sense of your suffering my friend, please know you are in good company and not alone. Draw closer to God in prayer, knowing he has promised insight and wisdom if we ask. Trust His sovereignty – confident He has great purpose in allowing the hardship you face.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight.” – Proverbs 3: 5-6 NIV
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” – Job 13:15 KJV
With great confidence, I know you will find purpose within the hardships you face. Believe this my friend and God will reveal what He is working out in your life and in your destiny – all within His divine timing and purposes for you.
“The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands” – Psalm 138:8 ESV
