2 Corinthians 7:9 (NLT)
“Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.”
No matter how many steps forward you’ve taken, it can take just one piece of bad news for pain, fear, and anxiety to come knocking—like they never left. They remind you they’ve still got a key to your heart. When I read this verse in 2 Corinthians 7:9, I’m reminded that the right dose of pain has a way of pushing us into change we never thought possible.
Sometimes it’s not comfort that moves us—it’s pain. Pain has a way of stripping away the illusions, shaking us out of passivity, and making us face the truth we’ve been avoiding. It can feel cruel in the moment, but in God’s hands, even pain becomes a tool that pushes us toward His purpose.
You might be wondering: Why would God allow us to go through pain just to make us change? I’ve asked myself that before. What I came to understand is this—God is the opposite of the hurtful feelings we experience. He is love. He is freedom. But if we’re living life on autopilot—unmoved by His Word and unmoved toward His Will—pain and sorrow will eventually find their way to us. And most times? They’re tied to something we could have surrendered or released long ago.
In 2 Corinthians 4:8 (NLT), the Apostle Paul wrote, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair…” He wasn’t speaking as someone who had lived a soft life. Paul’s hardships were real. I’m talking about persecution, shipwrecks, beatings, and betrayals. Yet, his pain didn’t paralyze him; it propelled him deeper into his calling.
If you’ve been walking through a season of heartache, you may feel like everything in you wants to stop, withdraw, or give up. But God can use the very thing that hurt you to lead you into the very place He promised you. In Genesis 50:20 (NLT), Joseph told his brothers after years of betrayal, false accusations, and prison time, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Your pain can carry purpose, and your tears can water the seeds of your next season.
Sometimes God allows the discomfort because He’s shifting you forward. Hebrews 12:11 (NLT) tells us, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” If we only ever lived in ease and comfort, we’d never stretch into the growth that makes us stronger, wiser, and more anchored in our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ.
Pain doesn’t mean you’ve been abandoned. It may mean you’re being realigned. And when you start to see it through God’s eyes, you can walk through it differently. Not with bitterness, but with faith. Not as a victim, but as someone who knows God is working and causing all things to work together for your good. So let the pain push you—not into despair, but into the good and fulfilling destiny God has prepared for you, a destiny that brings Him glory and aligns you with His purpose. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“When Pain Pushes You Forward”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack and KLizzie for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.
