Personal Pains: God’s Megaphone (Part 2: Becoming)

“What barrier are you facing right now? Could it be that what you see as your greatest obstacle might be the bridge God wants to use to get you where you need to be? Could it be that your greatest pain is something that God wants to use to propel you into your greatest purpose?” – Kerry and Chris Shook

BECOMING: "How is God using this experience to give me a unique message?"

God is not the author of our pains. He will never harm us. But in this broken world, bad things happen to anyone, including you and me. Accidents happen. Diseases occur. Tragedies befall each one of us, knocking us to our knees.

In this ever busy world, we are hard-pressed to perform and stressed to catch up with everyone. We run the rat race, chase goals after goals, and we are consumed with mundane routines and worldly priorities. One day, in one fell swoop, difficult circumstances come knocking at our doorstep, threatening to knock the life out of us. It could be a job layoff, contracting a serious illness, losing a loved one, or amassing huge debt over a fumbling business. Whatever it is, the crushing feeling over us is unbearable.

To add insult to the injury, the people around us seemed to be living smooth and perfect lives. Questions flood our mind, “Why me?” or “Why now when everything seems to be working well?”

Suddenly, in the middle of busyness and chaos, God puts a stop to all of it, our world comes to a screeching halt. God raises His megaphone, and says, “Look over here. Think about this instead. Here is the unique thing I gifted you with, and here’s how you can use it.”

When life’s challenges knock us to our knees, it’s the high time to kneel in prayer. Let’s ask God for courage and strength to hurdle the ordeal, to claim victory over it. Ask God for comfort and healing in our pain. Ask Him for wisdom to know and understand our unique message.

God never wastes hurt and challenges, nor He removes the pain. Joseph was sold by his brothers to slavery, and suffered for many years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Throughout the ordeal, he lived an exemplary life. In the midst of pain, he was right in the middle of God’s will – saving his family and the people of Israel from being wiped out by a coming great famine. At the end of it all, Joseph was able to tell his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20).