This is Day 4 of The Unexpected Gifts of Pain, a 5-day blog and audio series designed to help you find God’s treasures in the darkness (Isaiah 45:3). Each day we’re exploring one gift God offers in the midst of pain and hardship, along with practical strategies to reclaim peace, hope, and joy. Today, we’re unwrapping God’s Gift of Purpose. Check out the post below or click play to listen in!
“I’m terrified,” I told my husband. I had spent the previous seven months writing a series called Simplify, where I shared my journey from fast-paced life to a spirit-filled one. For the first time, I was letting my readers into parts of my story that had long been kept secret. My struggles with slowing down, being a stay-at-home mom, discerning God’s voice, and finding peace. Conflict in my marriage, letting go of control, and anchoring my identity in Christ.
“Perhaps you shouldn’t publish it,” he said. But, deep down I knew the reason wasn’t that the content wouldn’t resonate or was inaccurate. The reason was that being vulnerable required me to step out of my comfort zone.
Our culture often equates vulnerability with weakness. As a writer, I had believed if I allowed others to see the “crack in my armor,” that my witness or effectiveness in serving them would suffer. The ironic thing is that the mistakes and failures I was reluctant to share were the stories that helped them see my humanity. Those were the stories that most resonated.
The day the first post of my series went live a family member asked me, “Why do you have to share your personal life online? Why can’t you just say you went through a tough time? Or give them strategies without going into your whole story?”
Within an hour of that conversation, a woman I haven’t talked to in years sent me a private message. She had read my post and reached out to me for support because she was struggling in the same area of her life. I was able to point her to some valuable resources and we coordinated a date to get together and talk further.
To that family member who asked me why – that is why. With each post, God connected me with at least one other woman who related to my story because I was willing to be vulnerable. My prayer is that the comfort and support I was able to provide for others during difficult seasons will later be passed on, creating a ripple effect with Kingdom impact.
“God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given to us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with His comfort through Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 1:4-5 NLT
Embracing vulnerability and empathy in community banishes feelings of shame, disconnection, and despair, which the enemy uses to isolate us. It builds connection, which is a weapon against anxiety and depression. In addition, when we put our struggles into words, it breathes life into our hard stories, helps us process our pain, and leads to healing.
American author, speaker, and world-renowned leadership expert, John Maxwell, says if we want to impress others, we should talk about our successes. If we want to impact others, we should talk about our failures. I have experienced firsthand how stepping out of my comfort zone and being vulnerable has opened the door to deeper, more meaningful connections.
People all around us are struggling with physical, emotional, and relational pain, but are scared to open up. They are searching for peace, but in the wrong places. When we enter into the brokenness, patiently endure suffering, and praise God in the midst of pain, we point others to the hope we have in Jesus. This is, perhaps, the most effective way to witness.
Recall the story of Joseph, the favored son with big dreams who literally finds himself in a pit, sold into slavery, and imprisoned. Joseph is betrayed, unjustly accused, isolated, and forgotten by the cup bearer. He could have easily believed that God had abandoned him, but God had a plan all along. He knew that Joseph had to go through the fire first so his character could be refined and he could fulfill the high calling God had for him. As it turns out, God’s timing was perfect because Joseph’s release from prison occurred at exactly the right time for him to save His people, including his own family, and fulfill God’s promise to Abraham.
One point worth noting is that even while imprisoned Joseph continued to exercise his gifts to take the focus off his own pain. He relied on God’s wisdom to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, which ultimately led to his release. He forgave those who hurt him, which led to reconciliation with his brothers and restoration of his joy. And he trusted in God’s sovereignty, which eventually led him to rescue an entire nation from famine.
We too can wait expectantly in the midst of difficulty and trust that God has a plan. We can participate in God’s purpose as we endure pain by exercising our spiritual gifts. Like Joseph, we can rely on God’s wisdom, practice forgiveness, and experience fullness of joy in His presence.
Pain without purpose is a tragedy. But pain with purpose is a powerful testimony.
Which do you want your story to be?
Regardless of your occupation, if you are a believer, you are also a minister. We are called to set an example for others and embody the peace, joy, and contentment of Christ, even in the most challenging circumstances. This is what separates us from the rest of the world. In the words of Pastor Rick Warren, “our suffering, not our success, gives us credibility. Our faithfulness, not our fame, earns respect.”
You may think your pain limits your potential or interferes with God’s purpose for your life, but the opposite is true. Your situation does not surprise God. In fact, it was allowed by God so that through His strength you could fulfill the specific purpose for which you were created.
Suffering does not diminish our effectiveness as agents of change; it amplifies it because in our weakness the glory of God is revealed. This directly aligns with our primary purpose on Earth: to know, love, and serve God so that we can enjoy eternity with Him in heaven. This is Good News worth sharing!
Putting it into Practice: So often we want to run from our hard stories, but it is through embracing them that we experience healing and through vulnerability that we form deep, meaningful connections. In the words of Brene Brown, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.”
The opposite is also true. Holding it in robs our peace. American author and poet, Maya Angelou, once said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
What’s your story? Have you told it? If your story is too personal or the pain is still too real to share publicly, consider telling your story through journaling, to a close friend, or to a trusted counselor. Releasing your story will not only free you, but it will fulfill a purpose in someone else’s life. It is a gift that gives hope and faith to others and an act of worship that brings glory and honor to God! If you’d like to check out the stories on my blog, you can visit them on my Christian Testimonies Page.
2 thoughts on “The Gift of Purpose”
There’s always purpose in our pain, struggles, & of course victories! Praise Him for being a God of purpose who orders our steps!
So true! The thought of being publicly vulnerable is always terrifying but as I bit the bullet and started becoming more vulnerable in my writing, the better I connected with readers.
The messy, human parts of our story are part of our testimony too.
Thanks for sharing.