Hollywood captivates our attention with intriguing stories of characters who go through grief and loss that challenges them at the very core of their being. We can often empathize with their raw emotion and are captivated by how they overcome their pain to find their inner hero. Why is it so much easier to see the need for healing, and hold on to the hope of possibilities for other people’s story? The process and timeline of healing are unique to each individual and circumstance, but the grieving process is meant to be temporary. Yet, we often resist change and the courage it takes to process our own hurt, leaving the potential of finding passion and purpose in our pain.
Our pain is never in vain unless we fail to face our raw emotions, thoughts, and beliefs and resist the courage to move through it. The question that most often keeps us stuck is asking why. We may never have full understanding so this question can lead us to look for someone to blame. Blaming puts us in a powerless position and never truly answers the question or solves the problem. If we can’t get some temporary answer for why we experienced the loss or injustice, we often turn it on to God instead of realizing that He doesn’t cause our pain, but has redeemed it. The best question to ask is “what”. “What now?”, “What do I want to feel that will heal?” “What is the hope I need in the circumstances?” “What is the purpose in my pain?” The answers may not all come at once, but as we trust God we will posture ourselves to discover more about who we are and what impact we were made for.
The life of Joseph in the Bible is a powerful example. Out of jealousy for his relationship with their father, Joseph’s brothers sold him into Egypt. We can only imagine the grief Joseph experienced in the trauma of being rejected and abandoned by his brothers and the loss of his relationship with his parents. We don’t know much about how he dealt with it, but we can see glimpses of his attitude and hope and trust in God in the midst of it. With God’s favor and blessing, Joseph became the Pharaoh’s right hand man and had great influence that led to saving the Egyptian people in the time of famine. When his brothers came to Egypt years later to get food during the famine, Joseph reveals himself to them. He says to them “I am in the place of God”. What they meant for evil, God ascribed it for good. God gave him favor and raised him up to rule a nation. Joseph persevered and God repurposed his pain. I wonder what would have happened if he had blamed God, or let the voice of pain and anger master him? What if he became a victim to his circumstances instead of seeing the obstacle as an opportunity?
There are many things we can learn from the life of Joseph about finding passion and purpose in pain.
- Maintaining an attitude of hope and trust in God no matter where we are in the healing process gives us energy to overcome despair.
- When we allow God to repurpose our pain, He gives us a special ability and favor and positions us for outworking our passion and purpose. The message of grief is that we have lost something valuable to us. Often taking the obstacle as an opportunity has a way of healing us as well as helping others.
- God wants to turn our grief into growth for our spiritual maturity and for us to sow into others in His service. (See 2 Corinthians 1:4)
It is most important to remember that God is not the author of our pain, but He is the healer and the redeemer. Inviting God into the process of healing and discovery will set the stage for unlocking the greatest purpose in your pain. The seeds of passion are sown in every tear we have cried, or every righteous anger for injustice we have felt. My hope and prayer is that you will shift your perspective on your pain, and allow God to transform your sadness and despair into hope and zeal, and convert your obstacles into opportunities. The world desperately needs you to fulfill your purpose. Will you allow God to repurpose your pain?