Never Waste Your Pain!

"Have you gone through all of this for nothing? Is it all REALLY for nothing?"
Galatians 3:4 (CEV)

I like Pastor Rick's question: "Have you grown from your pain?"

PAIN CAN BE USED FOR A GOOD PURPOSE

1. Use my pain to draw closer to God!

"I am glad...not because it hurt you but because the pain turned you to God."
-2 Corinthians 7:9 (LB)

(When Johnny ran to heaven, I was compelled to go deeper into my faith in God; to read (soak up/drench myself in) the Bible and other books of healing!
-2 Corinthians 1:8-10

2. Use my pain to draw closer to others!

"By helping each other with your troubles, you truly obey the law of Christ!"
-Galatians 6:2

3. Use my pain to become more like Jesus!

"Now isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God?
You're MORE ALIVE,
MORE CONCERNED,
MORE SENSITIVE,
MORE REVERENT,
MORE HUMAN,
MORE PASSIONATE,
MORE RESPONSIBLE.
Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart!"
-2 Corinthians 7:11 (The Message)

Gain from you PAIN! (I chose to let my pain draw me closer to God!)

-2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (TEV)
-2 Corinthians 11:23-28

4. Use my pain to help others!

I like what Pastor Rick says, "Winners get knocked down but then they get back up!"

Winner's are resilient! That's the difference between a winner and a looser!

5. Use my pain to witness to others, to the world!

When we are authentic in our pain, others listen.

"In everything we do we try to show that we are true servants of God.
We patiently endure suffering and hardship and trouble of every kind."
-2 Corinthians 6:4 (LB)

"I want you to know (Dearest) brothers and sisters,
that everything that has happened to me has helped to spread the GOOD NEWS!"
-Philippians 1:12 (NLT)


Dear Lord,
Use my pain to teach me to love even more.
Amen.