How can God use my pain and my hurtful situations to glorify himself?
2 Corinthians 12:9-10Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
God can use our weakness and pain to reveal his strength and power. It is often through pain that we most vividly experience God’s work in our lives.
2 Corinthians 4:18So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Philippians 1:29You have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.
Hebrews 10:34-37You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay.”
God can use our pain to help us gain an eternal perspective—a fresh way of looking at our circumstances.
Job 6:10“At least I can take comfort in this: Despite the pain, I have not denied the words of the Holy One.”
Psalm 44:22For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.
1 Peter 4:1So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.
God can use our pain as an opportunity for us to demonstrate our loyalty to him and share a shining witness to the world.
Romans 5:3-4We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
James 1:2-4Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
1 Peter 1:7These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
Hurtful situations can strengthen our faith, develop our endurance, and mold our character.
Psalm 51:17The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
Lamentations 1:20Lord, see my anguish! My heart is broken and my soul despairs, for I have rebelled against you. In the streets the sword kills, and at home there is only death.
2 Corinthians 7:9Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.
James 4:9Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.
God can use painful situations to bring about personal remorse and a change of heart to help us grow closer to him and make the right choices in the future.
Psalm 41:3The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.
Pain is an opportunity for God to minister to his people. When pain comes, we dare not miss the signs of God’s tender care.
Hebrews 12:11No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
God can use painful discipline to grow and strengthen our self-control.
