We don’t own our pain. It’s for public service. Whether it’s sorrow, hurt, regret, disappointment, afflictions, persecution, or some other form of suffering, our pain is never an end in itself. It’s an invitation to serve.
Life has no safe harbors against pain. Thus, as long as we live we shall have the privilege of meeting pain—our own share of pain. When encountered, true pain needs no introduction, for it is its own introduction. And when pain greets us with its commanding presence, it also whispers its royal mission: Our pain equips us to empathize with those who go through similar things we’ve experienced. It qualifies us to comfort those who’re hurting. And it gives us the credibility to speak to a suffering world.
Thank God for the pain in your life. Hard as it might be to believe, the more you hurt the nearer God is. Through your pain, He can do far more with you, and bring out of you a far better person than without it. One day you will discover that the most painful thing that ever happened to you was also one of the most useful tools there could ever have been for your refinement. Your pain is your greatest opportunity for service, see it for its purpose and not its ache (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4; cf. Hebrews 2:18).—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim
© Samuel Koranteng-Pipim: Permission is granted to share thought nuggets from this website provided they are reproduced in full and are for non-commercial use only. Pertinent quotes can also be excerpted from the nuggets and shared with others. Users of both nuggets and/or quotes must acknowledge Samuel Koranteng-Pipim as the author and give the appropriate EAGLESonline link as the source.
SAMUEL KORANTENG-PIPIM,PH.D. , is a US-based Ghanaian author, inspirational speaker, leadership trainer, and an advocate for youth empowerment. He was trained in engineering and systematic theology, and has authored more than twenty books. They include his bestselling works Hope Through the Dark, Six More Chances, Healed Wounds but Ugly Scars, and Patience in the Midst of Trials and Afflictions. Dr. Pipim currently directs two Centers for Leadership Development known as EAGLES (Empowerment & Advisory Group for Leadership, Excellence, & Service) and ANANSE (African Network & Advisory for Needed Services & Excellence). www.EAGLESonline.org. He also serves as a special consultant on Bible projects for Remnant Publications. 