Your Pain Often Reveals God’s Purpose

God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others . . . 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.” 2 Corinthians 1:4, 6

Your pain often reveals God’s purpose for you. God never wastes a hurt! 

If you’ve gone through a hurt, God wants you to help other people going through that same hurt. He can use the problems in your life to give you a ministry to others. In fact, the very thing that you’re most ashamed of or that you resent the most could become your greatest ministry. 

Who can better help somebody going through a bankruptcy than somebody who went through a bankruptcy? Who can better help somebody struggling with an addiction than somebody who’s struggled with an addiction? Who can better help somebody who’s lost a child than somebody who lost a child?

The very thing you hate the most in your life is what God wants to use for good in your life and in the lives of other people.

The Bible says, “[God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others . . . 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” (2 Corinthians 1:4, 6).

This is called redemptive suffering when God eventually uses the pain you’ve gone through for the benefit of others.

This is what Jesus did. When Jesus died on the cross, he didn’t deserve to die. He went through that pain for your benefit so that you could be saved and go to heaven.

The problems, pain, and suffering in your life have many causes. 

Sometimes you bring them on yourself through poor decisions. For example, you presume on the future by buying things you can’t afford; then you go deeply in debt and eventually lose your house. In that situation, you can’t say, “God, why did you let me lose my house?” You can’t blame God for your bad choices.

But in some of your problems, you’re innocent. You’ve been hurt by the pain, stupidity, and sins of other people. 

But no matter the source of your pain, God can redeem it. He can bring you through a time of suffering and let you help other people on the other side.

Truth That Refuels You

“The Lord’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. The Lord can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. Deep in my heart I say, ‘The Lord is all I need; I can depend on him!’” Lamentations 3:22-24

Emotional exhaustion isn’t new. It’s also not something foreign to the Bible. Just read the book of Lamentations.

When Jeremiah wrote the book, Jerusalem had been captured. The Israelites were in exile. Everything Jeremiah held sacred had been destroyed.

He was emotionally exhausted, and for an entire book of the Bible, Jeremiah releases his frustrations and expresses his emotions to God.

In the midst of these complaints, he refocuses on God. He writes, “Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this” (Lamentations 3:21).

What brought Jeremiah hope during this very difficult time? He answers immediately:

“The Lord’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. The Lord can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. Deep in my heart I say, ‘The Lord is all I need; I can depend on him!’” (Lamentations 3:22-24).

Jeremiah refocuses on five truths about God that help to refuel him in the midst of his exhaustion. He remembers:

• God’s Steadfast love
• God’s Unfailing mercy
• God’s Great faithfulness
• God is Always kind
• God is my Real hope

When life overwhelms you, don’t focus on your problems. Don’t give in to despair. Instead, focus your attention on God himself.

Many people reach for chocolate or other sweet treats when they’re emotionally exhausted. But those can’t truly comfort you.

But notice the acronym above: SUGAR. It will help you remember the truth about God, even when you’re exhausted. It’s the only kind of SUGAR that will actually refuel you. It won’t give you a sugar high, make you gain weight, or make you more depressed.

Build your life around those character traits of God, and you’ll be ready for whatever setback comes your way.

God’s Remedy For Emotional Exhaustion

He makes me lie down in green pastures.” Psalm 23:2

What should you do when you’re emotionally exhausted?

When the Prophet Elijah faced emotional exhaustion, God led him to do three things that helped him recover and they’re things that can help you recover, too, when you’re at the end of your rope.

1. Rest your body. In the world’s most famous psalm, the Bible says of God, “He makes me lie down in green pastures” (Psalm 23:2). Sometimes God has to make you lie down because you’re unwilling to do it on your own. You can’t be spiritually and emotionally strong while you’re physically depleted.

That’s what happened to Elijah. God did not scold Elijah. God didn’t say, “Come on, man. You’re just having a pity party.” He simply let Elijah sleep. The Bible says about Elijah: “Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep” (1 Kings 19:5).

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do when you’re emotionally exhausted is to take a nap.

2. Release your frustrations. Revealing your feeling is the beginning of healing. In 1 Kings 19:10, Elijah says this to God: “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too”.
Elijah didn’t hold anything back. He didn’t filter his feelings. Instead, he told God his frustrations.
Here’s the point you can’t miss about this verse: God isn’t shocked when you complain to him; he’ll listen to you until you run out of words. Let them all out. God can handle anything you throw at him.

3. Remember and refocus on God. When you’re emotionally exhausted and approaching burnout, you need to remember what God says and who he is. When you do that, you shift your eyes away from your problem and toward Jesus. You get a fresh awareness of God’s power, God’s presence, and God’s personality. You need to see God far more than you need to see your problems.

If you read 1 Kings 19:11-13, you’ll see how God demonstrated his power firsthand to Elijah. The Lord showed him who was in control. When you’re struggling through burnout, it’s often because you’re trying to play God and control everything. When you refocus on God, you realize he is in control and you stop trying to exert your own control.

If you’re feeling burned out and emotionally exhausted, God hasn’t forgotten you. Just like God did with Elijah, God stands ready and willing to help you.

Lean on God’s Promises When Troubles Hit

Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.” Joshua 21:45

When we experience a setback, we tend to focus on things that can easily fall apart. We look at our bank accounts. We keep our eyes on the people around us. We put our attention on what we can hold on to.

But God says that when everything in life is falling apart, we need to remember that his promises can be trusted.

The Bible tells us, “Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true” (Joshua 21:45).

When you can’t count on anything else, you can count on the promises of God.

That’s what Paul told his shipmates when they were being battered by a storm in Acts 27. They gave up hope and thought all was lost. But God had told Paul that they all would be safe. Paul trusted God and told the others: “So take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me” (Acts 27:25).

Paul didn’t place his faith in the ship or the captain. Paul trusted God.

That boat wasn’t going to last forever. Paul understood that. But he knew the promises of God would last.

Are you trying to put your trust in a puny lifeboat? 

Maybe your lifeboat is your sparkling personality. You’re sure that you can get through anything because your charm or persuasiveness will shine through.

Maybe it’s your looks. They’ve always been the key to your success. You figure you can lean on your appearance when troubles hit.

Maybe it’s your money. You plan to buy yourself out of whatever problem you face.

But all of those puny lifeboats will someday perish. The only safe place to be in the middle of a storm is directly in the center of God’s will.

Just ask Paul.

Acts 27 ends with an incredible comeback: “Everyone escaped safely to shore” (Acts 27:44).

God’s promises came true for Paul and his shipmates—everyone was safe. God’s promises will come true for you too.

When you lean on God’s promises during a storm, you can trust that every single one of them will come true. And you won’t be the only one who is helped.

God just might save your whole ship.

God’s Presence: Your Anchor Through Any Storm

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”Psalm 23:4

No one gets through life without setbacks. All of us will face storms from time to time.

The real issue is how we respond. When you experience a setback, what happens next? Do setbacks dominate you? Do you stop trying and give up?

If we’re not careful, setbacks will cause us to make unhelpful decisions:

• Drifting from our goals. We hear the little voice inside that asks, “What’s the use of trying?” Then we stop striving for what God has clearly called us to do.
• Discarding what we value. Sometimes, after a period of intense pain, our priorities change we let go of what once mattered greatly to us.
• Despairing about our future. We figure we’re doomed, we’re finished, and it’s all over.

As a pastor, I watched many people react to crises in one of those three ways. I’ve discovered that the true test of faith is not how high you jump when you’re singing praises to God, but how straight you walk when you’re going through the valley of the shadow of death.

You’ll always drift in a storm without the right anchor. And only one anchor will really do.

One of the Bible’s most famous passages says it like this: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4).

God’s presence is the greatest anchor in any situation.

When you’re feeling hopeless, remember that God hasn’t left you. Choose to make him your rock-solid anchor. 

No matter how dark your valley, you’ve never been closer to God than you are at this exact moment. When I remind people of that truth while they’re in the middle of a setback, they often tell me: “Well, I don’t feel his presence.”

But it really has nothing to do with how you feel. The Bible says God is there in your darkest valley. That’s reality whether you believe it or not.

The Bible says, “I’m absolutely convinced that nothing nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us” (Romans 8:38-39).

No matter what you’re going through, God and his love are right there with you.

That truth offers stability in any storm.

Setbacks Can’t Derail God’s Purpose

Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.” Acts 27:24

Sometimes a setback is rooted in your own actions or choices. You made a mistake. You did something that hurt another person. You disobeyed God. And now you’re facing a storm as a result.

But often the storms we face in life aren’t because of something we did. Instead, we suffer because of other people’s poor decisions or even their sins.

Acts 27 gives us a dramatic example of suffering a setback because of the foolish choices of others. Paul had been unfairly put on trial for crimes he didn’t commit. He was a Roman citizen, so he had the opportunity to appeal to Caesar in capital-offense cases.

On the prison ship heading toward Rome, Paul told the others that they were headed toward disaster. But no one listened, and it didn’t take too long before they hit a terrible storm.

But that didn’t mean the storm sidetracked God’s purpose for Paul and a storm doesn’t have to sidetrack God’s purpose for you either.

God’s purpose for your life is greater than any setback you’ll ever go through. An angel assured Paul of that in Acts 27:24: “Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you”.

The angel told Paul that, despite the setback, he would one day stand before Caesar and share his testimony. God’s purpose wouldn’t be thwarted.

God doesn’t need a Plan B for your life. Hitting a setback whether it’s your fault or someone else’s doesn’t mean God won’t work through your life. When disaster hits, God just fits it into his plans.

When someone else’s decision turns your life upside down, God uses it for his glory.

When someone else’s mistake puts you in a difficult situation, God works through it anyway.

When you feel like you’ve lost everything, God does the incredible so you can do the impossible.

You can’t sink God’s purpose. Neither can anyone else.

Why You Need Others During Tough Times

Because you are praying for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ is helping me, I know this trouble will bring my freedom.” Philippians 1:19

When we experience setbacks, our most common response is our worst response: We want to withdraw, to build a wall around ourselves, to push people away.

But that’s the last thing we should do.

When setbacks leave your faith weak, you need other people to trust God for you. You need a church family to help support you.

When Job lost his family, finances, and health, it was a devastating setback just as it would have been for anyone.

But here’s what one of Job’s friends told him: “Don’t let your anger and the pain you endured make you sneer at God . . . Others have praised God for what he has done, so join with them” (Job 36:18, 24).

That’s great advice. When you’re in the midst of troubles, don’t get bitter. Join with others who can pray with you, worship with you, and support you.

Where do you find that kind of support?

First, join with others for worship at a local church. Worshiping with other people will give you a new perspective on your setbacks.

Second, get involved in some kind of small group Bible study. Most churches are too big to build relationships just through attending worship services. You need a group of 10 to 12 people to gather with not only to study the Bible, but also to share your pain and pray together.

You won’t find a comeback on your own. You need God’s people to build you up and help you focus on God.

Gathering with others will be a huge step toward your comeback. Just ask Paul. As he sat in a Roman prison, Paul wrote this about the support of other Christians: “Because you are praying for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ is helping me, I know this trouble will bring my freedom” (Philippians 1:19).

With the support and prayers of God’s people, your setback is only temporary. Your best days are ahead.

When Setbacks Come, Focus On God For Help

I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!”Job 1:21

When you hit a setback, it’s okay to tell God you’re mad, you’re sad, or you’re depressed. It’s okay to express all your emotions to God.

Just don’t get bitter.

Bitterness is like saying you don’t trust God when troubles hit. It’s like a poison that will tear your life apart if you let it.

Job endured all kinds of problems. He lost his family, his fortune, and his health. But instead of becoming bitter, he kept his focus on the big picture. He understood that God was still in control even though everything in his life seemed to be falling apart.

Job said, “I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing. The Lord gave, and now he has taken away. May his name be praised!” (Job 1:21).

You come into this world with nothing. You leave this world with nothing.

When setbacks come your way and they most certainly will you must focus on the fact that God has your big picture in mind.

Many things will change in your life. Your faith will be tested and tried. Like Job, you haven’t been promised a perfect life. You likely won’t get an explanation when setbacks come. But you can choose to trust God anyway. 

No matter what setbacks you face, you can trust that . . . 

●   God will never stop loving you.

●   God has a plan for your life.

●   God cares about every detail of your life.

●   God is in control of things even when you don’t understand it.

●   God will protect you.

Regardless of any setback, those five truths make up the big picture of your life. When everything else falls apart, you can base your life on them.

You won’t get bitter if you keep your eyes on a big picture like that.

God Can Handle Your Honesty

Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord.” Lamentations 2:19

You’ve just had an awful setback. You’ve lost a job. You’ve ended a relationship. You’ve failed in some way.

What do you next? Do you just grin and bear it? Do you tell God what you think he wants to hear?

No, the first thing you should do is to tell God how you feel—unload your pain. When you’re honest with God about your emotions, it’s actually an act of worship.

Job is a great example of this. Job loses everything his family, his livestock, his home, and his wealth.

But the Bible doesn’t sugarcoat his response: “Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship” (Job 1:20).

Job grieved the way people did in the Middle East back in his day, by tearing his robe and shaving his head. But then he worshiped God.

Any time you experience loss, you’ll face four emotions: 

●   Anger: Why did this happen to me?

●   Grief: What have I lost?

●   Shock: What’s going on here?

●   Fear: What’s going to happen next?

When you experience a setback, you need to express every one of those emotions. And God can handle them because he is the one who gave them to you.

In fact, the only reason you have any emotions at all is because you are made in the image of God. God is an emotional God; he has emotions. He can handle your anger, your grief, your shock, and your fear.

Job was brutally honest with God, and you can be too. Job said, “I cannot keep from speaking. 

I must express my anguish. My bitter soul must complain” (Job 7:11).

The right response to a setback isn’t to fake a good response. God never wants you to fake an emotion.

In one of the most difficult setbacks in the entire Bible, after Jerusalem had been looted and destroyed and the Israelites had been killed, enslaved, and exiled, the prophet Jeremiah writes this: “Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord”(Lamentations 2:19).

With God, honesty is always the best policy.

Finding God’s Best On The Other Side Of Obedience

Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.’” Luke 5:5

We all suffer setbacks at work from time to time. But sometimes the simplest step from setback to comeback is just two words: Obey God.

Imagine this scenario: God has told you to do something that seems illogical and foolish to you. It makes no sense financially, relationally, or emotionally. Worse yet, it scares you to death.

But God says to do it anyway. The next move is yours: Obey God or go your own way.

For the past couple of days, we’ve been looking at a story from the Bible about a business setback. In Luke 5, Simon Peter had been fishing all night and caught nothing. For first-century fishermen, it would have been an awful setback.

But Jesus came by and used Simon Peter’s boat to preach. Then Jesus told him: “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish” (Luke 5:4).

Jesus told Simon Peter what to do and then Simon Peter had to make the choice to obey.

Jesus’ instruction was completely illogical. On the surface it made no sense. After all, they had fished all night and caught nothing! So why did Jesus tell Simon Peter to go out again and into the deeper water? It’s in the deep water where you find the most fish. But it’s also where you find the biggest risk.

And there’s no faith without risk.

So did Simon Peter decide to obey? “‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again’” (Luke 5:5).

Simon Peter did what Jesus told him to do. He didn’t do it because it was a smart or popular idea. He did it because God said to do it. He didn’t argue or hesitate.

And, through his obedience, God gave Simon Peter and his companions a bigger business success than they could have dreamed. The Bible says God gave them so many fish that their nets tore and they had to enlist the help of other fishermen.

But none of that happened until Simon Peter obeyed Jesus—even when it was illogical to obey him.

What has God told you to do that you’re not doing? Does it seem impossible? Does it make little sense financially? Is he telling you to go into the deep water? It doesn’t matter how foolish it seems. God wants you to take a risk and obey him.

The choice is yours: You can either stay in the shallow end where it’s safe or go into the deep water where the fish are. Once you obey, God will take care of the rest. Your best days are on the other side of your obedience.

So will you obey?