NOTHING WASTED!

 May 15, 2025

Romans 5:3–5

“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.”


Pain and hope often feel like opposites, one tears down while the other builds up. But the apostle Paul shows us a powerful truth today: under God's care, even suffering can have a purpose. In other words, pain is not meaningless or wasted with God. Instead, the Bible seems to reveal to us that it is part of a divine process. How do you feel about that?

Paul describes in our verses above what we might call a chain reaction that makes us rethink our view of hardships. Suffering, while tough, lays the foundation where perseverance can grow. As we continue to walk with God through challenges, perseverance shapes our character, and results in a genuine spiritual depth. From this depth of character comes hope. A hope that isn’t shallow or temporary, but strong, enduring, and anchored in God’s love.

This kind of hope doesn’t disappoint us because it is not based on wishful thinking or changing circumstances. It’s anchored in the unchanging love of God, that has been poured lavishly and abundantly into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Here is the thought we are left with: this hope grows not in spite of pain, but often because of it.

Our Bible shows us through an ongoing story of God and his people that God does not always remove the storm or suffering, rather God does something even more profound: He transforms us in the storm or hardship. He takes our brokenness and weaves it into a deeper faith, a stronger trust, and a more radiant hope.

I read the story not to long ago about a woman named Lisa. Lisa sat in a dim hospital room beside her young son, who was fighting a severe illness. Machines beeped steadily, and time seemed to stand still. She had prayed, begged, wept, but the healing hadn’t come. 

In the early days of her journey with her son's illness, Lisa questioned everything. “God, where are You?” she whispered through tears. The silence was deafening. But over time, something unexpected happened. Instead of running from God in her grief, she leaned in.

She started with each morning reading one Psalm. Sometimes just one verse. On some days, she said I could only pray, “Help me.” What Lisa discovered was that slowly, her prayers became more about presence than answers. She writes "I started to notice God's nearness in small things: a kind nurse, a sunrise through the window, the comfort of Scripture. I was still hurting, but I wasn’t alone."

From this experience Lisa’s faith had changed forever. She said I no longer hold onto God only in the good times but I clung to God in the dark moments, too. "What was once a fragile hope, had been refined in the fire" she testifies. The outcome of this hard journey for Lisa resulted in something amazing. When others suffer, she sits with them, oh, not with easy answers, but with a quiet confidence that comes from knowing as she puts it, "God is here. And He is faithful, even when life hurts."

I want to invite you to reflect on a time when you endured a trial that, in hindsight, brought you closer to God. What did God show you during your season of suffering? How did God shape your faith?

Now consider your current struggles. Where do you see signs of God working—even if subtly? I wonder if you can see any glimpses of  how He might be using your pain to deepen your perseverance, strengthen your character, and renew your hope. 


Let's Pray

Lord, we confess that we don't enjoy suffering. we often long for comfort and quick resolutions. But deep down we believe You are using even the hard seasons to shape us. Teach us to persevere. Form in each of us a character that reflects Your heart. And grow in us a hope that is tested and true, anchored in Your unshakable love. Amen.