Devotions
Use Your Pain for a Greater Purpose
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28 (NIV)
Pain That Awakens
Purpose
I learned this story recently. There
is a charity called MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving. I came across this
organization as part of my work. The name looked unusual and intriguing, so I
wanted to understand its meaning. The work began in California after a
harrowing event in 1980. On May 3, 1980, a 13-year-old girl, Cari Lightner, was
hit and killed by a drunk driver who left her body at the scene. Her mother,
like any mother, was devastated, especially because this was her second child
to be hit by a drunk driver. The driver was also a repeat offender who had
already killed five other people. He was supposed to be behind bars.
Out of that devastating loss, Candace
Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving to fight impaired driving
through education, public awareness, and advocacy for stronger laws. Since
then, the organization has grown tremendously and extended its reach in other
countries. MADD Canada was founded in 1989, and today the charity receives
millions of dollars in funding. Through its education programs and campaigns,
it is credited with helping reduce the number of accidents related to impaired
driving since its inception.
Compassion Born from
Suffering
I have realized that many people who
have accomplished big things for their communities and their generations are
people who have suffered deeply. For example, after losing loved ones to
cancer, four women came together and founded the Cancer Research Society in
1945 in Montreal, Canada. After giving birth to a blind child, a woman founded
a center that cares for and educates blind children in her hometown. Another woman
founded an organization that supports youth education because, as she said, she
did not have the means to finance her studies, so she decided to help the less
privileged.
I am sure you know such people too,
because there are many examples of ordinary people who have achieved great
things because of their hardships. If it were possible, everyone would skip the
suffering part. Unfortunately, life includes suffering. There is, however,
something positive that suffering can produce: for those who have not hardened
their hearts, it brings out compassion. And compassion is not only a feeling;
it pushes someone to get involved, to do something about the problem, and to
become part of the solution. The Bible tells us that because Jesus suffered and
was tempted in every way, He can empathize with us in our sufferings (Hebrews
4:15).
The Strength God
Places Within Us
I have also realized that human beings
are deeply resilient. We are far stronger than we look. Though the outward person
may be weak and perishing, the inner person does not get old; it cannot easily
be crushed. The Scriptures say, “Though
outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16 NIV).
That inner strength is what allows
people to overcome suffering and use it for a greater cause. Though we cannot
always see God working, and though we may sometimes doubt that He is working at
all, He is always at work in our lives. All things, when placed in His hands,
become part of the process of shaping us into the people God designed us to be
and taking us to the heights where He wants us to stand. Pain, whether physical
or emotional, does not always make sense, but we can still allow God to make it
relevant and use it for a greater purpose.
Look Beyond the Pain
It is intentional that all my examples
above are of women. Though I disagree with this belief, many people still think
that women are fragile and weak. We still hear sentences like, “How can you
fail at something a woman can do?” But women are not weak spiritually,
emotionally, physically, or intellectually. They are strong, resilient, and
able. If those ordinary women could give birth to something meaningful out of
their pain, then so can you.
Do you know why you can? Because you
have the power of God at work inside your heart. What you have suffered, you
have suffered; we cannot undo it. If you have lost a loved one, you have lost
them; they will not return. If you have been betrayed, then it happened;
nothing will change that reality. But you are encouraged to channel that pain,
anguish, and disappointment into something beautiful that will bring joy to
your wounded heart, something that will not only serve you, but also serve
others.
Look beyond your pain to find a
purpose to pursue and serve. Remember, in Christ, everything has a purpose.
Posted : Oct 26, 2026