How Does God Use Struggle to Teach Me Forgiveness, Growth, and Dependence on Him?

 

When Struggle Becomes the Classroom of Grace 

 

God uses struggle to teach us what we often cannot learn when life is comfortable. Struggle exposes what is really in us. It reveals pride, fear, shame, guilt, anger, bitterness, unbelief, self-reliance, and the hidden places where we still think we can fix ourselves apart from God. That is not God abandoning us. Sometimes the very struggle we wish God would remove becomes the place where He teaches us to depend on Him more deeply. 

James 1:2–4 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” Then James adds, “let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” Romans 5:3–5 says that “tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” That means struggle is not meaningless when God is using it to form perseverance, character, and hope in us. 

I have learned this in my own life, often the hard way. One of my struggles has been the desire to control too much of my life. That need for control creates stress, anxiety, and pressure, and over time it reminds me that I am not God. Add to that the physical limitations that come with age, declining health, and needing help from others, and I am forced to face something I cannot escape: I am dependent. I always have been. I just did not always want to admit it, and that is where God begins to work. 

 

Struggle Reveals Our Need For God 

John 15:5 gives us the truth plainly: Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Not some things. Nothing. That does not mean we do not act, obey, repent, work, seek help, or make wise choices. It means none of those things produce lasting spiritual fruit apart from abiding in Christ. Struggle teaches us this because struggle brings us to the end of self-sufficiency.

Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Most of us do not naturally lean away from our own understanding. We lean into it. We try harder. We manage, manipulate, hide, defend, excuse, or push through.But struggle has a way of showing us that our own understanding is not enough.

Second Chronicles 20:12 gives the prayer many of us need to learn: “Nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” That is not weakness in the wrong sense. That is dependence. That is faith finally looking in the right direction. 

 

Condemnation Drives Us Away; Conviction Draws Us Near 

When someone is struggling, one of the most important distinctions to understand is the difference between condemnation and conviction. Condemnation pushes us away from God. It says, “You are hopeless. You failed again. You should hide. God is done with you.” Conviction draws us toward God. It says, “Come into the light. Confess this. Turn from it. Receive mercy. Be restored.” 

Psalm 34:18 says, “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” First John 1:8–10 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” But then comes the promise: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That verse is not permission to treat sin lightly. It is an invitation to stop hiding. 

Guilt can become destructive when it becomes a wall between God and us. If guilt drives us away from repentance, forgiveness, restoration, and fellowship, it begins to trap us. We justify, delay, excuse, and stay stuck. But when guilt leads us to confession, it becomes a doorway to grace. Acts 3:19 says, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” God does not call us to repentance because He wants to crush us. He calls us to repentance because He wants to restore us. 

 

Forgiveness Is Not Earned By Punishing Ourselves 

One of the lies we believe when we struggle is that we must somehow earn forgiveness by emotional punishment, self-hatred, or proving we are finally worthy. But forgiveness is not earned that way. Forgiveness is purchased by Christ. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Micah 7:18–19 says God delights in mercy and casts our sins into the depths of the sea. Hebrews 8:12 says, “I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 

That is why the cross matters so much. Christ took the punishment we deserved. He paid the price we could not pay. We were spiritually dead and could not bring ourselves back to life. But God, rich in mercy, gave His Son for us. Christ did not look at us and say we were worthy in ourselves. He made us His own by grace. Isaiah 1:18 says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” That is not self-improvement. That is mercy. So when we struggle, we do not run from God. We run to Him. We confess honestly. We repent sincerely. We receive what Christ has already provided. Then we get back up and keep moving forward. 

 

Struggle Teaches Us Not To Abuse Grace 

God’s grace is sufficient, but grace is not an excuse to continue practicing sin. Paul’s struggle in Romans 7 shows the conflict between wanting to do what is right and still battling sin. Every honest believer understands that conflict. But Romans 8:1 answers the shame that follows: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” No condemnation does not mean no conviction. No condemnation means Christ has taken our judgment, and now the Holy Spirit leads us into life, repentance, obedience, and freedom. 

Second Corinthians 12:9–10 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul then says, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” God’s grace covers what we cannot cover, but it also trains us to depend on Him. It does not give us permission to stay isolated, hidden, or unchanged. If a person knows they are struggling with sin, they should bring it to God and, if necessary, to a trusted brother or sister for prayer and accountability. James 5:16 says, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” Community matters because isolation can cause us to wither. The branch must abide in the vine, and believers need the family of God. 

 

God Uses Weakness To Make Us Dependent 

Weakness can be a gift when it teaches us to stop trusting in ourselves. That does not mean weakness feels pleasant. It often does not. Hebrews 12:7–11 reminds us that God deals with us as sons and that His correction is “for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.” It also says, “No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” That phrase matters: afterward. Some fruit only comes afterward. 

Deuteronomy 8:2–3 says God led Israel through the wilderness “to humble” them and “test” them, to know what was in their heart, and to teach them that “man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” Deuteronomy 8:16 says He humbled them and tested them “to do you good in the end.” That is often how struggle works. We want immediate relief. God is working for our good in the end.

Psalm 119:67 says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.” Psalm 119:71 says, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.” Those are hard verses to embrace, but they become precious when we realize that God can use even affliction to bring us back to His Word. 

 

Struggle Produces Growth Over Time 

Growth is often slow, painful, and uneven. It is still real if we keep returning to Christ. Spiritual growth is like natural life. A child is conceived, grows in the womb, is born, and then must be fed, protected, taught, corrected, and matured over time. No child becomes eighty years old overnight. Time, nourishment, correction, and experience are part of the process. It is similar in the Christian life. Some people grow with less visible heartache. Others grow through much pain, trial, and failure. But none of us becomes spiritually mature instantly. God forms us over time. 

First Peter 1:6–7 says we may be “grieved by various trials,” but the genuineness of our faith is “much more precious than gold that perishes,” though it is tested by fire. Job 23:10 says, “He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” Proverbs 17:3 says, “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the hearts.” Refining is not comfortable. Fire exposes impurity. But God does not refine us to destroy us. He refines us to make us useful, holy, humble, and more like Christ. Philippians 1:6 says we can be confident “that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” That means God is not finished with us in the middle of the struggle. 

 

Struggle Teaches Us Mercy Toward Others 

Repeated struggle can make us more compassionate toward people who are weak, hurting, failing, or trying to change. When I am aware of my own need for mercy, I become less quick to crush someone else who needs mercy. Second Corinthians 1:3–4 says God is “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,” who comforts us in all our tribulation, “that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble.” God does not waste the comfort He gives us. He intends for us to pass it on. 

This is also where forgiveness becomes real. Colossians 3:13 says we are to forgive one another, “even as Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 says, “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Jesus taught in Matthew 18 that the servant who had been forgiven a great debt should have shown compassion to the one who owed him far less.

When I remember how much mercy Christ has shown me, I can extend mercy to others. That does not mean pretending evil was good. It does not mean removing all boundaries. It does not mean ignoring repentance where repentance is needed. But it does mean I do not appoint myself as judge over someone God has called me to forgive. Matthew 5:44–45 says to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use us. Romans 12:14 says, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Romans 12:17–21 tells us not to repay evil for evil, not to avenge ourselves, and not to be overcome by evil, but to “overcome evil with good.” That kind of forgiveness requires dependence on God. We cannot produce it from the flesh. 

 

Biblical Examples Show That God Forms People Through Struggle 

David, Joseph, Job, Peter, and the prodigal son all teach us something about struggle. 

David teaches us that honest confession matters. Psalm 51 shows a man no longer hiding behind excuses. He comes before God broken, asking for mercy, cleansing, and a renewed heart. True repentance does not merely regret consequences. It turns toward God. 

Joseph teaches us that God can be working even when we cannot see what He is doing. Betrayal, slavery, false accusation, and prison did not mean God had abandoned Joseph. Later Joseph could say, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good” (Gen. 50:20). That does not make the evil good. It declares that God is greater than the evil. 

Job teaches us that there are things happening beyond what we can see. Job did not know everything happening behind the scenes, but God knew Job. God knew the way he would take. Job could say, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15), and later, “When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). 

Peter teaches us that failure is not the end when Christ restores. Peter denied the Lord, but Jesus restored him and used him. That should give every struggling believer hope. God’s grace is not fragile.

The prodigal son teaches us that when we come to ourselves and return to the Father, we find mercy waiting. Not because sin was small, but because the Father is merciful. 

 

God Can Use Even Painful History For His Purposes 

The life of Job speaks deeply to me because of what Job did not know while he was suffering. There were things happening beyond his sight. In my own life, there were painful seasons I did not understand when I was living through them. There were things I could not make sense of at the time. Yet God kept me. He preserved me. He did not let go, even when I did not understand what He was doing. 

At this point in my life, after all I have been through, where else would I go? Why would I abandon the Lord now? He has been faithful when I was weak. He has carried me when I did not know how to carry myself. He has shown mercy when I needed mercy. He has given grace when I had no strength left. 

Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you… I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you.” Psalm 62:5–8 says, “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him… Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” That is where struggle is meant to bring us: not into despair, but into deeper dependence. 

 

What Should We Do When We Are Struggling? 

The first step is simple, but not always easy: come honestly to God. Confess honestly. Pray. Read Scripture. Ask for help. Set boundaries where needed. Remove temptation where possible. Find one strong believing friend and speak honestly. Ask them to pray with you. Stay in fellowship. Keep returning to Christ. Romans 12:12 says, “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.” First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” John 16:33 reminds us that in this world we will have tribulation, but Jesus says, “be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” 

The Christian life is not struggle-free. But it is not hopeless. Romans 8:18 says, “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Second Corinthians 4:16–18 says we do not lose heart because, even though the outward man is perishing, the inward man is being renewed day by day. So rather than resisting every part of the struggle, we learn to ask, “Lord, what are You teaching me here? Where do I need to confess? Where do I need to forgive? Where do I need help? Where am I still trying to live in my own strength? What obedience is right in front of me?” 

Sometimes the only way we truly learn to trust God completely is by walking through painful trials where no other hope remains. Struggle is not greater than grace. Weakness is not greater than Christ. Failure is not greater than the cross. And the God who began a good work in us will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. 

 

 

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Book: I Cannot Give You What I Do Not Have: Finding Unconditional Love in Christ

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQB4MJYW

 

Study Guide: I Cannot Give You What I Do Not Have: Companion Study Guide: Healing Generational Wounds Through 40 Devotions

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H33MHYMY

How Do I Remain Patient And Faithful As I Wait On God For His Deliverance From My Trials?

 

Waiting on God Without Losing Heart 

 

Waiting on God for deliverance is one of the hardest parts of faith because waiting exposes what we truly believe about God, His timing, His goodness, and His control over our lives. When trials stretch longer than we expected, our thoughts can begin to run ahead of God. We start asking, “What if this never changes?” “What if I cannot endure this?” “What if God has forgotten me?” “What if obedience is not working?” That is why Scripture speaks so often about waiting. God knows waiting is difficult. He knows our hearts grow tired. He knows we can become anxious, fearful, discouraged, and tempted to take matters into our own hands. 

Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” That verse does not say waiting will feel easy. It says God strengthens the heart of the one who waits on Him. Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength.” Psalm 37:7 says, “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him.” Psalm 130:5 says, “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope.” That is where patient faith begins: not in pretending the trial is easy, but in anchoring our soul in God’s Word while we wait. 

 

Waiting Is Not Doing Nothing 

There is a difference between waiting patiently and doing nothing passively. Biblical waiting is active faith. It is prayer. It is obedience. It is staying in Scripture. It is worship. It is honest lament. It is repentance when needed. It is fellowship with other believers. It is doing the next right thing God has placed in front of us. Passive waiting is like watching paint dry and expecting the rest of the house to paint itself. We may say we are waiting on God, but we stop praying, stop serving, stop obeying, stop seeking counsel, and stop doing what He has already entrusted to our care. That is not biblical waiting. That is spiritual drifting. 

Galatians 6:9 says, “let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Hebrews 10:36 says, “you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” That means faithful waiting continues to do God’s will even before deliverance comes. So when you are waiting, do what is in front of you. Pray. Open the Word. Keep your responsibilities. Serve where you can. Make the phone call. Go to work if you are able. Care for your family. Confess what needs to be confessed. Worship when you do not feel like worshiping. Take the next step of obedience. God often renews our strength while we obey, not before we obey. 

 

God’s Delay Is Not God’s Denial 

One of the lies a long trial tells us is that if God has not acted yet, then He must not care. But delay is not denial. Habakkuk 2:3 says, “the vision is yet for an appointed time… Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come.” God’s timing is not always the timing we would choose, but His timing is never careless. James 5:7–8 gives the picture of a farmer waiting for the precious fruit of the earth. The farmer waits because he knows there is a season for rain, a season for growth, and a season for harvest. He cannot force the crop by anxiety. He cannot make the fruit appear by panic. He waits, but he waits with expectation. 

That is why James says, “You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” Waiting on God means we ask Him for His perfect will, we bring our requests to Him, and leave the outcome in His hands. Philippians 4:6–7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God,” and the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Prayer is not our way of forcing God to do what we want. Prayer is often God’s way of aligning our will with His perfect will. We can ask honestly, but we must also learn to pray as Jesus prayed: “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). That is the phrase I want my own life to be defined by. When my desires are wrong, when my flesh wants relief without surrender, or when I want to force a door God has not opened, I need the will of God to rule over my will. 

 

Trials Train Endurance 

Patience grows through trials, not apart from them. Romans 5:3–5 says, “we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Then Paul says, “hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” That is not a shallow verse. It does not say trials are pleasant. It says God uses tribulation to produce perseverance, character, and hope. James 1:2–4 says something similar: “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” Then James adds, “let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” 

Endurance is like long-distance running. I understand that image because I was a long-distance cross-country runner when I was younger. You do not become a distance runner by wishing yourself across the finish line. You train. You run when it is difficult. You build endurance over time. You learn that the goal is not to sprint for a few seconds, but to keep going until the race is finished. Hebrews 12:1–3 says, “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Then it tells us to consider Him who endured such hostility, “lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” That is the key. We do not endure by staring only at the trial. We endure by looking unto Jesus. 

 

The Examples Of Scripture Teach Us How To Wait 

Romans 15:4 says, “whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” That means the stories of Scripture are not merely history. They teach us how to wait, how to trust, how to repent, how to endure, and how to keep moving forward when God’s answer has not yet arrived. Joseph is one of the examples I connect with deeply. He was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, forgotten in prison, and then raised by God’s providence at the proper time. Joseph did not see the full picture while he was in the pit, in Potiphar’s house, or in prison. But God was working.

I understand some of that in my own way. As an adopted child, I was sent into a home where I experienced deep pain instead of the safety a child should have known. There were years when I could not see how God was preserving me. I could not see how He would use what I lived through. But later, as I came to know the Lord and understand His love, I could look back and say that God protected and preserved me for His purposes. What was painful was not wasted in His hands. Joseph could eventually say, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good” (Gen. 50:20). That does not excuse evil. It declares that evil does not have the final authority over the child of God.

Job teaches us to trust when we do not understand what God is allowing. James 5:10–11 says, “take the prophets… as an example of suffering and patience,” and then reminds us of “the perseverance of Job” and “the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” David teaches us to cry honestly while refusing to abandon faith. He wrote, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart” (Ps. 27:13–14). David did not deny fear, sorrow, guilt, opposition, or fatigue. He brought all of it to God.

Jesus teaches us the deepest surrender. He obeyed the Father all the way to the cross. Hebrews 12 says He endured the cross “for the joy that was set before Him.” If Christ endured suffering with His eyes fixed on the Father’s will and the joy ahead, then we are called to keep looking to Him when our own waiting feels long. 

 

Be Honest With God, But Keep Turning Toward Him 

Faithful waiting does not mean pretending we are never afraid, tired, confused, disappointed, or in pain. Lament is part of faithful waiting. Psalm 69:3 says, “I am weary with my crying; My throat is dry; My eyes fail while I wait for my God.” Psalm 119:81–82 says, “My soul faints for Your salvation, But I hope in Your word. My eyes fail from searching Your word, Saying, ‘When will You comfort me?’” 

That is honest prayer. “Lord, I am tired.” “Lord, I do not understand.” “Lord, how long?” “Lord, help me not to give up.” The point is not to hide our weakness from God. The point is to bring our weakness to Him. First Peter 5:6–7 says, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” We cast our care on Him because He cares for us. Not because we have figured everything out. Not because the trial makes sense. Not because we are strong. Because He cares. 

 

Guard Your Heart While You Wait 

Long trials can tempt us toward bitterness, resentment, spiritual numbness, panic, or sin. Discouragement can make us think, “What is the point?” But one stumble does not mean we turn back altogether. We are not perfect. The men and women of faith in Scripture were not perfect either. They struggled, failed, doubted, waited, wept, and still kept trusting the God who made the promise. That is why we must guard our minds. Isaiah 26:3–4 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.” Psalm 42:5 asks, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” and then answers, “Hope in God.” 

When our thoughts run wild with “what if,” we must bring them back to what is true. God is in control. God is good. God has not forgotten. God’s promises do not fail. Second Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise.” Micah 7:7 says, “I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me.” We must also guard against trying to force a deliverance God has not provided. Impatience can make us reach for sinful solutions, manipulate circumstances, or walk through doors God never opened. Proverbs 3:5–6 gives the safer path: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” 

 

Community Helps Us Wait Faithfully 

Waiting can become dangerous when we isolate. We need wise counsel, prayer support, encouragement, accountability, practical help, and fellowship. First Thessalonians 5:14 says, “comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.” That is what the body of Christ is supposed to do. Sometimes community strengthens us. Sometimes it comforts us. Sometimes, if we are out of line or walking in pride, it corrects us. All of that is part of God’s care. We should not wait alone if God has placed believers around us. Ask for prayer. Talk to a trusted pastor or mature believer. Stay in fellowship. Let others remind you of God’s truth when your emotions are loud. 

 

Waiting Is Not Wasted When God Is Forming Christ In Us 

Waiting feels wasted when we measure God’s faithfulness by the speed of His answer. But God is doing more than resolving circumstances. He is forming Christlike character in us. Colossians 1:11 speaks of being “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.” Second Thessalonians 3:5 says, “may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.” Hebrews 6:12 tells us to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

That means patience is not dead time. It is training time. It is refining time. It is a time when God strengthens what would not grow in comfort. The inward work may not be visible at first, but it is still real. Second Corinthians 4:16–18 says, “we do not lose heart,” even though “our outward man is perishing,” because “the inward man is being renewed day by day.” We look not at the things seen, but at the things unseen, because “the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” That is why waiting on God requires an eternal compass. 

 

What Should You Do Today? 

For the next 24 hours, do what is in front of you according to the responsibilities God has entrusted to your care. Begin with prayer. Thank God for another day. Open His Word. Read a Psalm. Write down one promise from Scripture. Listen to worship music. Call a trusted believer if you need encouragement. Obey one clear command. Serve someone if you are able. Do not try to solve your whole future today. Do not measure God’s love by how quickly the trial ends. Do not let fear write the story before God has finished the chapter. 

Psalm 31:24 says, “Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.” Psalm 62:5 says, “My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.” Isaiah 25:9 gives us the final confession of those who waited: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us… We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” So remain patient and faithful by doing what Scripture says: wait on the Lord, keep His way, pray without losing heart, obey what is in front of you, stay in fellowship, resist bitterness, trust His timing, and keep looking unto Jesus. 

God’s delay is not God’s denial. Waiting is not wasted when God is forming endurance, character, and hope in us. “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:3–5). 

#WaitingOnGod #FaithInTrials #ChristianEncouragement #TrustGod #GodsTiming #Patience #Endurance #BibleVerses #Romans5 #Psalm27 #Isaiah40 #James1 #SpiritualGrowth #HopeInChrist #ChristianLiving 

 

Book: I Cannot Give You What I Do Not Have: Finding Unconditional Love in Christ

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQB4MJYW

 

Study Guide: I Cannot Give You What I Do Not Have: Companion Study Guide: Healing Generational Wounds Through 40 Devotions

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H33MHYMY

How Do You Deal With Depression Caused By Chronic Pain When It’s Hard Not To Feel Hopeless?

Chronic Pain, Depression, and the Hope That Still Holds

 

When someone asks how to deal with depression caused by chronic pain, I do not hear a small question. I hear physical exhaustion. I hear emotional weariness. I hear the fear of what life may look like later. I hear the ache of losing the ability to do parts of what the body used to do without much effort. I hear the loneliness that comes when other people cannot fully understand what it costs just to get through an ordinary day. I understand that more than I wish I did. 

Recently, I had another round of doctor visits after a previous doctor recommended I get a second opinion about something that did not look right. Now I am scheduled for a biopsy. This came after other health issues involving my knees, lower back, mid-back, hips, hip girdle, migraines, and neurological concerns connected to short-term memory recall. At almost sixty, I can see how the body begins to remind us that this life is not permanent. 

That realization can be frightening. There are moments when I think about the future and wonder what my body or mind may be like years from now. No one wants to become a burden. No one wants to lose the ability to do what they once did. No one wants to imagine a future where memory, mobility, or independence fades. 

But here is where faith begins to speak to the fear: God knows what He is doing, not only in my life, but in the lives of everyone around me. My body may be weakening, but God is not weak. My health may be uncertain, but God is not uncertain. My future may feel unclear to me, but it is not unclear to Him. 

Psalm 34:18 says, “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Those verses matter because chronic pain often lies to us. Pain says, “You are alone.” Scripture says, “The LORD is near.” Pain says, “No one sees your suffering.” Psalm 56:8 says God numbers our wanderings and keeps our tears. Pain says, “This will never change.” Revelation 21:4 says one day “there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying” and “there shall be no more pain.” That does not make today painless. But it does keep pain from becoming the final word. 

 

Chronic Pain Wears Down More Than The Body 

Chronic pain is spiritually and emotionally draining because it can feel like a cycle that never fully ends. One day may be better than most. Another day, standing, walking, sitting, or even reaching for a drink of water can become a challenge. Sleep can be interrupted by sharp pain. Rest becomes difficult. Patience becomes thin. The mind gets tired. The heart gets heavy.

The Psalms give words to that kind of suffering. David prayed, “Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O LORD—how long?” (Ps. 6:2–3). Psalm 38 says, “Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You. My heart pants, my strength fails me” (Ps. 38:9–10). Psalm 102 describes a person whose days feel “consumed like smoke,” whose bones are troubled, whose heart is “withered like grass,” and who lies awake “like a sparrow alone on the housetop” (Ps. 102:1–7). That is not shallow spirituality. That is honest lament. 

Sometimes Christians are afraid to be that honest with God, as though lament means we lack faith. But Job said, “I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul” (Job 7:11). Psalm 88 begins, “O LORD, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You” (Ps. 88:1–3). Psalm 13 asks, “How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?” and yet ends with, “I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation” (Ps. 13). That is how faith often sounds when it is hurting. It cries. It groans. It asks “how long?” But it keeps turning toward God. 

 

Feeling Hopeless Is Not The Same As Being Without Hope 

One of the greatest lies chronic pain tells us is that because we feel hopeless, we must actually be without hope. But those are not the same thing. The psalmist spoke to his own soul: “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God” (Ps. 42:11). He did not deny his despair. He did not pretend his soul was not disquieted. But he answered despair with truth. 

That is one of the daily battles of chronic pain. We have to answer the lies with Scripture. Pain may say, “God has forgotten me.” But Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.” Pain may say, “I cannot go on.” But Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you.” Pain may say, “I am useless now.” But Romans 8:18 says, “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Pain may say, “This is all there is.” But Job, in the middle of his own suffering, said, “I know that my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25–27). 

That is the difference between feeling hopeless and being hopeless. A Christian may feel overwhelmed, but he is not abandoned. He may feel weak, but he is not without help. He may feel cast down, but he is not cast off. Lamentations 3:22–23 says, “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” 

 

God’s Grace Meets Us In Weakness

Paul’s thorn in the flesh helps me think rightly about suffering, but it must be handled carefully. We should never quote “My grace is sufficient for you” in a way that dismisses someone’s pain. Paul was not describing a minor inconvenience. He pleaded with the Lord for the thorn to depart. God’s answer was not cruelty. It was sustaining grace: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).

Paul then said, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me… For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9–10). That does not mean weakness is pleasant. It means weakness becomes a place where Christ’s strength is displayed.

I have seen this principle even in complicated places. My adoptive father had serious health struggles, including multiple open-heart surgeries, and after one of them he was left physically impaired. He had to learn to walk again in a limited and difficult way. Our relationship was deeply painful, and there were many wounds in my upbringing that took years for God to help me face and forgive. Yet one thing he said stayed with me. When asked why he believed he was still here, his answer was simple: “God is not done with me yet.” That sentence has stayed with me.

Even with all the pain connected to that relationship, I can acknowledge that truth. God used even a broken man to say something I still carry. Now, as my own body weakens and health questions continue, I find myself saying the same thing: God is not done with me yet. That does not erase the pain. It gives the pain a place under God’s sovereignty. 

 

Purpose May Become Smaller, But It Does Not Disappear 

Chronic pain changes what a person can do. It may steal sleep, energy, independence, work, relationships, confidence, patience, and peace at different times. But there are things chronic pain does not have the authority to take from a believer. It cannot take God’s love. It cannot take salvation. It cannot take dignity. It cannot take eternal hope. It cannot take usefulness. It cannot take the presence of Christ. 

Romans 8:35–39 asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Then it names tribulation, distress, persecution, danger, and more, and answers: nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

So when pain narrows life, we look for the obedience that is right in front of us. Purpose does not always arrive as something large and public. Sometimes purpose is the small faithful step. Pray honestly. Read one Psalm aloud. Ask for help. Take medication responsibly if needed. Rest. Move gently. Speak truth to one trusted person. Write down the lies pain is telling you and answer them with Scripture. 

Psalm 37:23–24 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand.” Sometimes God reveals purpose one small step at a time. We obey what is in front of us, and then He shows the next step, and then the next. 

For me, declining health has forced me to think differently about my remaining time. I still have breath in my lungs, so I want to use that breath to share Christ. I write. I work on books. I think about the people God may allow me to encourage. My physical strength may not be what it once was, and my health may raise questions I cannot yet answer, but I can still do what is in front of me today. That is often how hope returns—not all at once, but through faithful obedience in the ordinary things.

 

Medical Help Is Not A Lack Of Faith 

I also want to say this clearly: seeking medical help, counseling, pain management, physical therapy, or medication is not a lack of faith. God heals supernaturally, and He also heals through natural means. James 5:13–16 says, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.” It also says, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him.” Prayer belongs in suffering. So does wise care. 

There are times when depression connected to chronic pain becomes dark, dangerous, or persistent. In those times, it is vital to speak with someone who understands and can help: a pastor, counselor, doctor, psychologist, trusted family member, or mature believer. That is not weakness. That is wisdom. 

Job had friends who mishandled his pain, and he said, “Miserable comforters are you all!” (Job 16:2). But then he also described what comfort should sound like: “I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief” (Job 16:5). That is the kind of help suffering people need—not shame, not easy answers, but strengthening words, wise presence, and practical support. 

If hopeless thoughts become dangerous or you fear you may harm yourself, tell someone immediately and seek urgent help. Do not sit alone with those thoughts. Pain can distort reality, and the Lord often uses another person’s presence to help us endure the night. 

 

Do Not Isolate From The Vine 

One danger of chronic pain is isolation. Pain can make us withdraw. Depression can make us believe no one wants to hear from us. Bitterness can begin to grow. Self-pity can start sounding reasonable. But isolation is dangerous. 

Jesus said in John 15 that we must abide in Him. A branch does not live by separating itself from the vine. In the same way, we need the Lord, His Word, prayer, and fellowship. If we pull away from all nourishment, we begin to wither. Psalm 119:50 says, “This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.” Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” 

Wise community matters too. Chronic pain sufferers need trusted believers, church support, honest prayer, practical help, family, counseling when needed, and people who will not grow tired of hearing, “Today is hard.” Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” That includes the burden of chronic pain. 

 

Present Suffering Is Real, But It Is Not Final 

The hope of resurrection and future glory does not erase today’s pain, but it puts today’s pain in its proper place. Paul said, “Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). That is an honest verse. The outward man really is perishing. Bodies weaken. Pain increases. Strength changes. But the inward man can still be renewed. 

Then Paul says our affliction is “working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” because “the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17–18). That eternal perspective matters. It tells me this broken body is not my final home. 

Revelation 21:4 says God will wipe away every tear. There will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. Job said, “After my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:26). That is not wishful thinking. That is resurrection hope. 

So how do we deal with depression caused by chronic pain when it is hard not to feel hopeless? We tell the truth about the pain. We lament honestly. We seek help wisely. We refuse isolation. We take the next small step of obedience. We keep our eyes on Christ. We remind ourselves that God is near to the brokenhearted, His grace is sufficient in weakness, His Spirit helps us when we do not know how to pray, and the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us (Ps. 34:18; 2 Cor. 12:9–10; Rom. 8:18, 26–27).

For me, the sentence that still helps is this: God is not done with me yet. And until He is, I want to do what is in front of me—however small, however ordinary, however limited—faithfully unto Him. 

 

Prayer: 

Lord, You see the one who is hurting right now. You know the pain that keeps them awake, the fears they do not say out loud, and the hopeless thoughts that try to take root in their mind. Draw near as You promised. Strengthen weak hands and feeble knees. Remind them that their life still has purpose, that their suffering is not hidden from You, and that nothing can separate them from the love of Christ. Teach them to take one faithful step today. Give them wise help, safe people, needed medical care, and the courage to ask for support. Let Your grace be sufficient in their weakness, and let the hope of future glory steady their heart until the day when there is no more pain. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

 

Book: I Cannot Give You What I Do Not Have: Finding Unconditional Love in Christ

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQB4MJYW

 

Study Guide: I Cannot Give You What I Do Not Have: Companion Study Guide: Healing Generational Wounds Through 40 Devotions

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H33MHYMY