Pain is an inevitable part of the human experience. Whether emotional, physical, or spiritual, we all face moments when pain and suffering seem unbearable. In these times, it’s easy to feel abandoned, forgotten, or even angry at God. But as a Christian counselor who counsels online with her bible open, I’ve seen time and again how inviting God into pain can transform our experience, leading to healing, spiritual growth, and a deeper connection with Him. Here are three compelling reasons to include God in your pain:
1. Finding God Amidst Suffering: His Intimate Understanding
You might feel like no one understands the depth of your suffering, but that’s not true. God, in His infinite wisdom and love, experienced pain in its most profound form through Jesus Christ. Jesus endured physical agony, emotional betrayal, and spiritual separation on the cross. He knows what it’s like to feel abandoned, to cry out in anguish, and to bear the weight of unimaginable grief and suffering.
- Hebrews 4:15 reminds us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”
When you seek God in suffering, you’re not bringing it to someone distant or indifferent. You’re bringing it to One who understands, empathizes, and cares deeply. He doesn’t dismiss your trials and tribulations but enters them with you. This is how we find God amidst suffering.
2. Divine Support: Comfort and Strength in Hardship
Human comfort can be fleeting and limited. Friends and family may offer support but can’t fully alleviate your suffering. God, however, offers comfort and strength that transcends human limitations. He provides a peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7) and a strength that sustains you through the darkest of times.
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 speaks of the “God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
When you invite God into your pain, you open yourself to receiving His supernatural comfort and strength. He doesn’t just take away the pain; He equips you to bear it, to grow through it, and to find purpose in it.
3. He Uses Pain for His Purpose and Your Growth:
Pain, though difficult, isn’t meaningless. God can use it for His purpose and your spiritual growth. He can refine you, shape you, and draw you closer to Him through your suffering. Often, it’s in our moments of deepest pain that we experience His presence most profoundly.
- Romans 5:3-5 says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Inviting God into your pain allows Him to work in ways you couldn’t imagine. He can transform your suffering into a testimony of His grace and a source of strength for others.
A Call to Surrender:
Inviting God into your pain isn’t always easy. It requires vulnerability, trust, and a willingness to surrender. But the rewards are immeasurable. He offers understanding, comfort, strength, and purpose in the midst of your fear, worry, or suffering.
If you are hurting, I encourage you to turn to God. Share your pain with Him. Cry out to Him. Let Him hold you. He is waiting, with open arms, to walk with you through every valley. As a Christian counselor, I have seen God’s power in pain, and I pray you will too.
Jane is a Licensed Christian Biblical counselor who is unafraid to provide answers and guidance from scripture.
