Pain and hardship are unavoidable parts of life. Yet how we respond to suffering shapes our character, relationships, and future in profound ways. Some allow hardship to crush their spirit and pull them away from God. But for those who learn to walk with God through the valley, adversity becomes the very tool used to transform them into who they were truly created to be.
This journey requires changing our perspective on pain, developing deeper relationships, increasing our endurance – and above all, keeping our eyes fixed on God’s vision for hope, healing and an abundant life on the other side of any trial.
- Growth demands change, and change often equals loss and pain. According to Samuel Chand, growth equals pain.
- We need a vision for the future that is bigger than our current pain. Having a vision helps us endure hardship.
- Having a few trusted “pain partners” – people who will walk with us through difficult seasons – is important for navigating pain.
- Our threshold for experiencing pain needs to increase in order to allow for growth. God can transform and heal us to handle more than we could previously.
- We must learn to endure hardship with God, not away from him, by trusting him and walking closely with him through trials.
In the end, hardship introduces us to our own strength and weakness, and to the unfailing strength and faithfulness of our God. Those who emerge from the fiery crucible of pain with deepened wisdom, compassion and trust in Jesus have unlocked the path to the abundant life he promised. Will you choose to face your difficulties with God by your side, and allow him to complete the good work he started in you?
The rewards – of character, of closeness with God and others, of joy beyond any circumstance – far outweigh the challenges. May you walk confidently into your tomorrow empowered to grow through whatever it holds, with Jesus as your steadfast companion and the finish line clearly in sight.