Dear 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. (James 1:2-4, NLT).
Back in the 80s, I used to get up before school every day and do the Jane Fonda workout. (Yes, I wore a leotard and leg warmers, lol.) And, one phrase that super-fit Fonda used to say is, “No pain, no gain!”
While I didn’t particularly like her when she said “no pain, no gain” with a smile on her face during the 100th leg lift, I knew she was right. Without pushing myself a little harder and working through the discomfort, I knew I wouldn’t go to that next level of fitness.
That same scenario plays out in our spiritual lives…minus the leotards and leg warmers. During those painful times in our lives, we often experience the most progress and growth, if we’ll just push through the pain.
Here’s the key: You have to determine you’re not just going to get through the pain, but rather that you’re going to grow through it. You can emerge from that painful time either bitter or better—the choice is yours.
Here are five things to help you come out better:
1) Pain has a purpose.
God wouldn’t have allowed pain into your life if He wasn’t going to use it to prepare you for the next level of your destiny. God won’t bring the pain, but He will use it to promote you if you’ll keep your heart right.
2) God allows pain because He trusts you.
God wouldn’t have allowed the pain into your life if He couldn’t trust you. God knew that you would trust Him through it and come out on the other side and share about His faithfulness. In other words, God can take your messes and turn them into your message. Your greatest test can become your greatest testimony. I’ve seen that play out time and time again in my own life.
3) Getting past “why” is crucial.
You may never know why God allowed a particular painful situation to come into your life, but that’s not important. The sooner you stop asking “Why me?” and starting saying, “God I may not understand this, but I am trusting You through it all,” the sooner the healing can begin.
It’s also key to remember that it’s not always about you. God may be allowing you to go through a painful situation so that you can help others once you’ve pushed through to the other side.
4) Let go and learn.
Once you’ve pushed through the pain, let go of the hurts while hanging onto the lessons you learned during the process. There are simply some things you can’t discover in the “blessing phase” of life. It takes difficult times to earn those insights. There is value in that “valley” time, and it makes you appreciate the mountaintop moments even more!
5) You are never alone.
Lastly, God won’t let you go through the pain alone. He promises to never leave you nor forsake you. So, lean on Him. He will carry you when He needs to, and He will comfort you and love you every step of the way. You can count on Him, and that’s a promise that should encourage you in the midst of pain.
