Purpose Helps The Pain

 That which hurts, also instructs. - Benjamin Franklin

Have you ever considered that whatever hardship you're facing may be for others more than for yourself. As selfish as we can be, that can be a hard pill to swallow. What about me? What about my family? But, God may be choosing to instruct and guide somebody through their tragedy by how He leads us through our own. Its not just about us. 

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us. We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬

Think about your tragedy. Was there anyone who came forward that had already walked down a similar road of despair to comfort you? If there wasn't, wouldn't that have helped? Take comfort in knowing as you walk through your trial by fire, God is grooming you to be the one to comfort somebody else who may endure similar trials down the road. If nobody has walked in a similar circumstance as yours then that just makes your testimony all the more powerful, to show that God’s grace is sufficient to get you through it and your testimony can be really encouraging to others.

The more it hurts, the more God will comfort you if you lean into Him. It works. I've seen it in my life and my family's. But you don't have to just take my word for it, Paul says it in v 5 

"For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with His comfort through Christ." 

Now, you and I aren't being persecuted like Paul for sharing the Gospel, but each situation we go through can be suffering for Christ. How many times have you heard of someone's tragedy leading someone to faith in Jesus? It happens all the time. Your suffering right now may just be a piece of the puzzle in God’s plan to draw someone to Him. 

v6 "even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation!

Whatever you’re facing may be the wakeup call for you or someone else to come to faith and receive salvation. Your pain is not for nothing. It can and will be used by God for good. 

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ 

Called according to His purpose. Verse 29 explains that is to be conformed to the image of Christ. Jesus. A man who loved the unlovable, endured hardship, persecution and was executed as an innocent man. Conformed to the image of Christ doesn't mean life will be easy. It’s the opposite of that. It’s being able to endure that which we can't endure on our own by looking up to the Father for strength. Jesus is the standard and the example to follow.

I've heard people say God won't give you more than you can handle. That's not true. We are weak and fragile creatures who were made to depend on Him. Without Him, there's a good chance you won't make it through your tragedy. He won't let us be tempted beyond what we can handle but He will put more on our plate than we can handle, to force us to rely on Him. Don't try to beat this on your own. Look up. 

Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians 8-10 "We think you ought to know dear brothers and sisters about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. we were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely on God, who raises the dead. And He did rescue us from mortal danger, and He will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in Him, and He will continue to rescue us." 

Paul expected to die. He had more than he could handle. That sort of pressure will do one of two things. Get your attention, and draw you and others to God or make you bitter and go the opposite way. There's only one direction to draw comfort from in the middle of your tragedy. Look up. He will walk you through it. It won't be easy. But who are we to expect easy when Jesus Himself had it harder than we ever will, in order to pay the price for our sins and redeem us from eternal separation from Him? 

If you died today do you know where you will spend eternity? If you say you are right with God, I want you to ask yourself these questions and please, be honest with yourself. How do you know? After accepting Him as Lord and Savior, did your lifestyle change or did you continue living how you used to? To make Him only your Savior and not your Lord doesn't jive. You can’t accept Him as Savior and deliberately live the way you want. If you haven't accepted Him, now is the time. It’s a free gift. All you have to do is reach out in faith, grab hold of it, repent and turn away from how you used to live.  If you feel convicted by the self evaluation don't ignore it or run. Turn to God. Today is the day of salvation. Don't put it off. You're not promised tomorrow. 

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 "As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of Gods kindness then ignore it. For it says, " At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, the right time is now. Today is the day of salvation."

Romans 10:9 "If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." 

James 2:18-20 "Now someone may argue some people have faith and some have good deeds. But I say how can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds. I will show you my faith by my deeds. You say you have faith for you believe there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless?" 

Works won’t save you. But simply believing there is one God also doesn’t save on its own. Even the demons believe that. Saving faith and true repentance has outward evidence. No longer living the same way you did before coming to faith. Repentance is submitting to Jesus as Lord (master) and doing what His word tells us to do to the best of our ability.  

John 14:23-24 "Jesus replied, " All who love Me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn't love Me will not obey Me." 

Luke 6:46-49 "So why do you keep calling Me Lord, Lord! when you don't do what I say? I will show you what its like when someone comes to me,  listens to my teaching , and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse in a heap of ruins." 

Is Jesus really your Lord and Savior?

There is purpose in your pain. Be encouraged. It has the power to be used to save people from eternal separation from Christ or maybe its purpose is saving you. Either way, there's a bigger picture. Your situation is being used by God even when you can’t see it. God is bigger than your problem and will bring you comfort. Stop relying on yourself, do like Paul and try to let your circumstance teach you to rely on God instead. It can be hard and it’s a process. He will give you little bit by little bit to increase your trust in Him through the learning process and you will eventually look back and see how far He brought you. I've experienced it the past 14 months in prison and even farther back than that. He brought me to salvation through my tragedy and continues using my circumstance to encourage others. 

Purpose helps the pain.