Repurposing Our Pain

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The other day I saw a post that said God has a purpose for our pain. 


I took time to think about that. I believe many people have taken that statement and twisted it into something that often hurts more than helps. Maybe you’ve heard “It was God’s will” after a horrible tragedy or loss. Maybe someone has said, “He must have done it for a reason,” or maybe “God is obviously trying to teach you something through this.” I may have even been the one to say it at some point.


Well, I firmly believe that God has no desire for any of us to suffer or go through any kind of pain. Pain and suffering were not in His original plan, but He does allow it and can redeem it. I feel a more accurate statement could be that God can “repurpose” our pain. We repurpose all kinds of things. Broken furniture, outdated clothes, metal, glass, just about anything you can possibly think of can be used again for good or a helpful purpose… including our pain. 


It often takes time to heal before we are able to turn that pain into something purposeful, and sometimes it is important to begin that process before trying. I do believe we can learn through our struggles, but I don’t believe God DID those things to us to teach us a lesson.


Re-purpose: to use something for a different purpose to the one for which it was originally intended


Maybe there should be a Pinterest board for all the ways God has repurposed pain or struggle in our individual lives. I think we could find a lot of inspiration there.


Take that pain, take that struggle, and allow God to work through it. How can you help others, even in the midst of your pain? How can your pain be repurposed?


“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 ‭NIV‬‬

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