THE PURPOSE OF PAIN

 

BY: Godfrey Gregg 

When Suffering Becomes Sacred

Suffering is universal, yet it remains one of life's greatest mysteries and faith's biggest challenges. Why does a loving God allow pain? What purpose could possibly justify the anguish we sometimes endure? These questions have no easy answers, yet Scripture and human experience reveal that suffering, while never good in itself, can produce profound transformation.

Pain has a way of stripping away pretense. In suffering, we discover what we truly believe versus what we casually profess. Shallow faith crumbles under pressure, while genuine faith, though tested, ultimately emerges stronger. Suffering reveals the depth of our roots.

The refining process is uncomfortable. Just as gold must pass through fire to be purified, our character is often forged in the furnace of hardship. Suffering develops qualities that prosperity never could: empathy, humility, perseverance, dependence on God, and clarity about what truly matters. We wouldn't choose this path, yet looking back, many testify that their greatest growth emerged from their deepest pain.

Suffering also connects us to others' pain in unique ways. When we've walked through the valley, we can authentically minister to others in similar circumstances. Our pain becomes purposeful when it equips us to comfort others with the same comfort we received. This is the sacred economy of suffering—nothing is wasted when surrendered to God.

We must be careful not to spiritualize suffering inappropriately. Not all pain has a clear purpose we can identify. Some suffering is simply the consequence of living in a broken world. We shouldn't add to people's burden by suggesting their pain is punishment or evidence of weak faith. Sometimes the most faithful response is to sit with those who suffer, offering presence rather than platitudes.

Jesus himself didn't exempt himself from suffering. He experienced betrayal, rejection, physical agony, and the weight of humanity's sin. He knows intimately what we face, and because He endured and overcame, we can trust that our suffering isn't the final word. Resurrection follows crucifixion.

If you're in a season of pain today, permission to grieve, question, and lament. You don't have to understand or find meaning immediately. Sometimes faithfulness looks like simply enduring, putting one foot in front of the other, clinging to God even when you don't feel His presence. Your perseverance is itself an act of worship. This season will not last forever, and one day you'll look back and see that God was working all along, even in the darkness.