Your Pain Often Reveals God’s Purpose

[Your Pain Often Reveals God’s Purpose]( Current Teaching Series [How God Turns Setbacks Into Comebacks]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Your Pain Often Reveals God’s Purpose]( By Rick Warren — 10/31/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “[God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others . . . Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer.” 2 Corinthians 1:4, 6 (NLT) Your pain often reveals God’s purpose for you. God never wastes a hurt! If you’ve gone through a hurt, God wants you to help other people going through that same hurt. He can use the problems in your life to give you a ministry to others. In fact, the very thing that you’re most ashamed of or that you resent the most could become your greatest ministry. Who can better help somebody going through a bankruptcy than somebody who went through a bankruptcy? Who can better help somebody struggling with an addiction than somebody who’s struggled with an addiction? Who can better help somebody who’s lost a child than somebody who lost a child? The very thing you hate the most in your life is what God wants to use for good in your life and in the lives of other people. The Bible says, “[God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others . . . Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer” (2 Corinthians 1:4, 6 NLT). This is called redemptive suffering—when God eventually uses the pain you’ve gone through for the benefit of others. This is what Jesus did. When Jesus died on the cross, he didn’t deserve to die. He went through that pain for your benefit so that you could be saved and go to heaven. The problems, pain, and suffering in your life have many causes. Sometimes you bring them on yourself through poor decisions. For example, you presume on the future by buying things you can’t afford; then you go deeply in debt and eventually lose your house. In that situation, you can’t say, “God, why did you let me lose my house?” You can’t blame God for your bad choices. But in some of your problems, you’re innocent. You’ve been hurt by the pain, stupidity, and sins of other people. But no matter the source of your pain, God can redeem it. He can bring you through a time of suffering and let you help other people on the other side. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - When have you questioned God or wondered why he let you suffer? - Think of a painful time you went through. How can you use that experience to minister to others? - Why do you think God does not always reveal his purpose to us? How should we respond when we don’t know why we’re suffering? The post [Your Pain Often Reveals God’s Purpose]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get The Power of Gratitude when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( Gratitude makes you more resistant to stress and increases your happiness and satisfaction. So it should come as no surprise that the Bible tells us to, "Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). But it’s not always easy to feel grateful. That’s why Pastor Rick created The Power of Gratitude, a Bible study filled with Scripture, teaching, exercises, quotes, prayers, and journal pages to help you develop the lifelong habit of expressing gratitude to God. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 8 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series How God Turns Setbacks Into Comebacks. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: When You've Had a Business Setback Message 2: When Your Setback Seems Irreversible Message 3: When a Setback Isn't Your Fault Message 4: When a Setback Leaves You Emotionally Empty Message 5: When You Feel Like Giving Up Message 6: When Others Keep Setting You Back Message 7: When a Setback Fills You with Fear Message 8: When No One Understands Your Goal [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( Rick Warren is the founding pastor of [Saddleback Church]( one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller [The Purpose Driven Life](. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created [The PEACE Plan]( to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, PO Box 80448, Rancho Santa Margarita, California 92688, United States