RePurpose Your Pain

The following is an adaptation from a post I contributed to the Living It Out bible study.


There is pain in the world. No one denies that statement. There is a debate, though, on whether that pain has a purpose or not. Realistically, it depends on your response to it. Some people choose to stay in the hurt and not move past it. It enslaves them, and in one of the ugliest ways possible. Everything in life is viewed through the tainted glasses of pain and bitterness that they now wear. Tragedy happens and they can no longer relate to anyone else. Their minds are consumed with the thoughts "Why me?!" and "It's just not fair!" These thoughts consume every other thought. Life becomes almost unbearable and sometimes they forget what it is to not feel so broken.

Is this the only option though? To be sure, there is a time for grieving and sandess in the tragedies that criss-cross our lives. But, what if we were to move past that tragedy and repurpose the pain? What if we looked past the hurt and wondered, "How can I be stronger or better from this?" I find myself asking that question a lot, especially lately. The phrase "when it rains, it pours" has echoed through my mind more times than I can count. If there is one truth I know though, it's that God will use the pain I experience in my life to answer that very question. Sometimes the pain is because of unwise choices I have made, and sometimes it's because of circumstances in life. Either way, choosing to stay in the same, broken state, viewing everything through that pain is not what God desires for me. And it's not what he desires for you.

In the same way that an old, worn-out, rickety chair can be sanded down, refinished and reupholstered, our pain can often serve to refinish us into newer, stronger people. It will be easier in some situations than others, learning from the pain of a break up is usually easier than moving through the pain of a loved one's death. In all situations though, Christ wants redemption for us...

He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever—
holy and awesome is his name.
Psalm 111:9

That is his purpose. When tragedy or heartache occur in our lives, we are to turn to Christ. It's through his strength that we look at the pain and know that we will not be overcome by it. So for me personally, I choose to cling to that verse, and know that God has already redeemed my pain and is moving me towards something even better.

What struggles have you encountered in moving through painful situations in your life?
Have you been able to overcome them?
How have you been made stronger or better through the experience?