Notes
Physical, spiritual, emotional, familial, mental, relational, or directional pain - it all matters to God. There has never been a moment when God was not with you in your pain. But the enemy will use your pain to isolate you from others, to sow resentment, or to make us feel hopeless - like God doesn’t care how we feel, like our prayers are useless because nothing has changed. But remember, the devil is a liar. There has never been a dark night that was not conquered by a sunrise.
Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
1 Peter 4:12-13
Most of us want to be comfortable in life. And when we focus on comfort, hardship comes as a huge surprise and it hurts much worse. But God wants us to submit our pain to Him; it doesn’t guarantee the pain will instantly stop, but
Have you ever heard the phrase, “God will never give you more than you can handle?” That phrase is wrong; He will constantly give us more than we can handle, so that we learn to rely on Him and grow stronger in our character and relationship with Him. Character is built through hardship.
You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
Genesis 50:20
But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!
Isaiah 54:17
God builds our faith through the hard times. You don’t know how much faith you’re capable of having until you don’t have anything else. And faith is all we need. In thousands of years, God has never broken a promise. So put your pain to work; use it to grow your faith.
Romans 8:28
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
Romans 8:18
Pain builds our confidence in our identity as children of God, and that He is trustworthy and will always be with us. We’re a church that is about valor, about getting up and getting to work - to be a people of valor, we need confidence.
Jesus will come back for His people, and we’ll have eternity with Him. We’ll see the glory of God if we put our faith in Him. Submit your pain to His authority, and ask God what He’s going to do with it, because you know that He can use anything for good.
We each have a purpose; if we don’t do it, it doesn’t get done the way He wants it to get done. Even if you are called to pour into a single person, it’s worth it and makes an eternal difference.
Group Questions
- When you face different types of pain, how do you typically respond?
- How does the truth that God is with us in our pain and can use it for good change the way you view difficult circumstances?
- What are some specific truths from Scripture that you can hold onto when you feel like your prayers are unheard or your situation seems hopeless?
- What does it mean to be a person of valor in the face of pain and hardship? How can we, as the Church, support each other to live with courage and confidence?
Prayer
Thank you for being with us in every trial, and for promising that we will never be alone. We bring our pain to you, for you to use to shape our character and help us grow stronger. Strengthen our faith and give us the courage to live as people of valor.