Don’t Waste Your Pain

My Pain• August 15th 2013 after a severe bout of depression and anxiety I

decided to attempt to take my life for the 2nd time (1st time was in 2001)

• The period that followed the miracle that saved my life was the hardest I’ve ever gone through

• It also was the catalyst for the greatest transformation I’ve ever experienced; and while I NEVER want to go through something like that again, I look back on it as one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

• How God helped me to use my pain:• Began to hear from God in greater clarity.• Found that God is a good father and he can be trusted.• Discovered that I had a severe problem with pride and I didn’t know

everything – far from it• Moved beyond my elementary understanding of emotions, specifically

my own.

Job’s Pain

• Job loses his livelihood, his wealth and all his children on the same day. (Job 1:13-19)

• Job also loses his health to a physically painful illness and his standing in the community. (Job 2:7-8)

• Goes through major depression (Job 3)• How Job used his pain:

• Learned the value of friends/wife who will stand by you during difficult situations (poor Job didn’t have either) (Job 2:9; Job 6:14-16)

• Developed humility and respect for God and His wisdom (Job 28:23-28)

• Built an appreciation of God’s supremacy (Job 42:1-6)

Elijah's Pain

• After an epic victory over the prophets of Baal, he sank into deep depression and prayed for death. (1 Kings 19:4)

• Felt exceedingly alone. (1 Kings 19:10)

• How Elijah used his pain• Discovered he wasn't alone in his pain

(1 Kings 19:18)• Learned God doesn't always shout,

sometimes we need to be quiet in our pain to hear him (1 Kings 19:18)

Joseph’s Pain

• Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery after they originally intended to kill him (Genesis 37:18-22,26-28)

• Falsely accused and imprisoned after doing the right thing in refusing to sleep with his master’s wife (Genesis 39:6-20)

• Forgotten in jail for 2 years by the cup-bearer after he promised to appeal to Pharaoh (Genesis 40:23; 41:39-40)

• How Joseph used his pain• Learned dependence on God (Genesis 39:21-23)• Able to forgive his brothers (Genesis 45:5)• Through his patience with God’s timing and plan, he became the 2nd

most powerful man in the country, able to save his family from starvation.

Daniel’s Pain

• Taken from his home as a child. (Daniel 1:3)• Forced to live in a foreign culture away from his family. (Daniel

1:4)• Threatened execution if he couldn’t tell the king his dream and

interpret it (Daniel 2:12)• Betrayed by his peers. (Daniel 6:4-5)• Thrown into a lion’s den by his king (Daniel 6:16)

• How Daniel used his pain• Faithfully walked out God’s commands. (Daniel 1:8)• Introduced a pagan king to God through an impossible

task (Daniel 2:27-45)• Showed God’s power to another pagan king through his

steadfast obedience (Daniel 6:23)

Jesus’ Pain• Subject of an assassination plot before he was even born

• Temped in the wilderness

• Persecuted for healing

• Misunderstood

• Taken for granted

• His cousin was beheaded

• Rejected by those he came to save

• Betrayed by one of his disciples

• Experienced anxiety that lead to sweating blood

• Chosen for death over a murder

• Falsely accused

• Beaten

• Mocked and derided

• Abandoned

• Denied

• Crucified

• Took on the sins of every person who will ever live

• How Jesus used his pain.• Salvation available to the entire world! • (Hebrews 12:2)

Your Pain

• What pain have you experienced/experiencing• Physical pain• Illness• Relationship struggles• Financial pain• Struggles with God/your faith

• How did/can you use that pain.