What Can We Learn From Pain and Suffering?

                        By Bill Glover

…though now for a short time you have had to be distressed by various trials so that the genuineness of your faith may result in praise, glory, and honor…1 Peter 1: 6 & 7

When I was thirty years old, I was so depressed from what I thought life had "dealt" me, that all I wanted was to end it all. Thank God I failed. That’s been a big problem. In my own I felt like a failure. I blamed my miseries on God for letting everything happen to me. I hated myself for reacting to the pain the way I did. I can remember being so discouraged over this heartbreaking situation that I lay upstairs in my room crying my eyes out and asking God why He hadn’t rescued me. I went headlong into horrible self-defeating thoughts and destructive - and at times illegal behavior. This led to multiple incarcerations and 6 months of prison time.

Through the course of my life God has used terrible times like this to teach me the secret of experiencing continued fulfillment in life. Yes, God uses pain to cause us to turn to Him. He desires to possess us with His love. God’s love transforms pain into compassion. It’s part of God’s plan to help make believers become more sensitive and begin to feel the pain of others. Through God’s Spirit we become compassionate, understanding, gentle and kind; and better able to know how to help others in crisis. The list goes on and on with qualities that we receive when we are partakes of God's love.

This personal struggle is still one of the worst experiences that have ever happened to me.  But, it turned into the greatest thing I ever experienced because of what God taught me. I have found peace in my pain, joy in disappointment, fellowship in loneliness, and understanding in depression; just by learning to trust my Heavenly Father to bring me through and teach me what He wants me to learn.  As we come to know who we are in Christ, we begin to see how God has been working all things together for our good and His Glory. We discover a Gift residing inside of us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Peace through the loving and abiding presence of Jesus.

I now have more joy, peace, patience, tolerance, and a deeper love for others who are going through a trial of their own. For the first time in my life I’m thinking about, and identifying my feelings. This helps me use my emotions for good, instead of letting them rule me. I am learning that Jesus really is Lord of my life. Not only that, but He is Lord over all. That means He even rules over my trials. God uses trials to turn my heart to Him for mercy and grace. He turns my pain into peace.

Blessings, Bill

(Barnabus Bill)