Trials, tribulations, and tragedies – while no one wants them – for the Christian they can often be used to minister to the hurting people we find all around us. For you see, with God, when we view Him through the lens of Scripture, works all things for good to those who love Him. (Romans 8:28). Rick Warren provides great insight here: “Your greatest ministry will most likely come out of your greatest hurt.”1
I know in my own life this is true because 20 years ago, I went through a severe bout of clinical depression that lasted 18 months. During this time, I got very little sleep, I lost my appetite, going from 185 pounds to 135 pounds, had frequent crying spells, nausea on a daily basis, and constant sadness. The thing that kept me going, however, was my trust in Jesus, who I knew would never leave or forsake me. Thankfully, I was able to get on the right medications and within a week of taking them my depression was gone and I haven’t had an ounce of depression since. Praise God!
Since then, I changed careers from working as a New York City banker for 26 years to a counselor at the Bowery Mission working with homeless men, many of whom had substance abuse issues and depression. I worked there for 11 years until I retired in 2020 at the age of 66. And here is where God was able to turn my hurt (clinical depression) into ministry. Over the years that I worked at the Bowery Mission, and on into the present, I have had the privilege to counsel many individuals with depression and help guide them through this very difficult condition. Having experienced depression, I was able to not only empathize with these hurting people but help them see that there was light at the end of the tunnel.
My 18 months of depression taught me two very important lessons. One, while I was in the depths of my struggles, Jesus was right there with me, and hurt right along with me. Yet, He allowed this trial because He knew it would drive me closer to Him, and when I came through it, He would be able to use me in ways that would bring Him glory. And two, the Lord taught me that life is in reality training grounds for eternity, and God will often work in mysterious ways and use suffering to triumph over tragedy.
For the Christian, I believe that when hurt and suffering come our way we need to trust God that He has a divine plan for ultimate good. And if we allow Him, we can use the suffering we go through as an opportunity to bring Him glory. So, for the Christian we can use suffering to either grow more reliant and closer to God or bitter and away from Him.
So Christian, what about you? Are you suffering from an illness? Have you recently lost your job? Or has your wife just had a miscarriage? In all of these situations God has allowed them to happen because He has a master plan in which He wants to use your tragedy for His glory. Our role is to trust God that He will use our sufferings in unique ways if we just turn them over to Him. So, rather than question God in these above cases with the refrain: “why me,” I much prefer to ask God how can you use these negatives to bless others who are hurting and make me a God glorifying vessel!