Job 23: 10; James 1:4; 2 Corinthians 4: 16-17
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
At various times in life, people share tragic stories of what they’ve been through – stories of loss, death, accidents, loneliness, hardship, challenges, difficulties, and misfortune. These experiences are inevitable in life; even in its simplest form, no one is exempted, or completely shielded from the mishaps of life.
There was once a story of a lady who (sadly) got a healthy dose of life’s catastrophes – she lost her only sister to cancer; later in life, she lost her best friend in an accident in which she was also involved, and ended up in a wheel chair! Another lady at separate times lost her husband, and her only child (after brief illnesses), and was left with nothing! Some stories are not as tragic as others; but all stories bear a common theme of pain, woe and heartbreak.
The question is often asked ‘why do bad things happen to good people?’ I cannot claim to have a perfect answer to this question, but here is what I know for sure – God does not author evil, but could allow evil to thrive temporarily for a greater purpose! Something beautiful has been birthed with regards to the two stories shared earlier on – both ladies in the own separate worlds have set up foundations to help other people survive similar experiences!
Diamonds, and indeed all precious stones (including pearls), go through a rigorous cleaning process at the initial stages of development – their beauty is perfected under an intense process of pressure and heat! It is only after the painful refinement that these precious stones become gems of great value! This is why a diamond is different from a rock (on the sea shore), and their values are miles apart!
God is making diamonds of us, so we can become people of great value and worth. He refines us, so His image can be seen in us. Through these unpleasant experiences, God is unleashing power, and character, so that the express workings of His infinite ways are made evident in our lives. Please keep this perspective in mind – when the trials are over, we shall come forth as gold!
So let your pain become a source of strength and authority, as God works a greater purpose in you (and through you). Turn your pain into an opportunity to bless others; so that the world around you may find hope and meaning through the things you’ve been through! Shalom.