An Invitation to Hope When Sadness and Suffering Overwhelm

“Why does the Bible say trials are beneficial?” he asked in his fatherly tone.

Neither he nor I wanted to share the difficult news with our four children, but I sat, trusting that it was wise to share the best and worst as a family. Something about needing to lean on each other vulnerably actually releases the power of the pain.

One answered a statement like a question, “Because it produces character.”

“Because it shows us who God is,” another responded confidently after.

We nodded in agreement. As tears pooled, we proceeded to share the unexpected news that quite honestly felt like a punch in the gut. While it didn’t lessen the degree of difficulty, the conversation initiated in truth stayed grounded in the truth: when God allows us to walk through trials, it is never without good purpose. But it doesn’t feel good. Ever. So, whether being served with divorce papers, receiving a crippling health diagnosis, or experiencing a devastating loss, how can we walk through gut-wrenching sadness and suffering? Allow these three reminders to provide an invitation to hope.

Suffering is an Invitation

So often, when devastating news or disappointing events cross our paths, we perceive them as a dead-end rather than a fork in the road. Many times, these unexpected moments solicit life-changing decisions, but I wonder if we can instead view them as invitations to take a different path. In these difficult moments, especially if it feels like there is no way out, we still have a choice about how we respond and whom we trust.

My memory recalls the moments when my doctor looked at me and shared there was no heartbeat, when I received the news of my cousin’s sudden passing, or when my friend shared her devastating diagnosis. While I sat in dizzying confusion each time, doctors could only offer the surface-level comfort that life is just not fair –a reminder that the comfort this world offers us at a moment of punching pain, while true, lands less than satisfactory at best. Of course, it wasn’t fair, but my grieving heart longed for more to stand upon. So, I cried out in pain to the God who gave and took away.

Friend, be encouraged that our wrestling with pain is never a dead end. On the contrary, it invites us further up and further in on our journeys of faith. The choice remains whether to rely on the temporary comforts of this world or the everlasting promises of God. God is undoubtedly working on your behalf. He is with you in whatever you are facing. Therefore, even on the shakiest ground, His promise of presence allows us to accept the invitation and take our next faithful step firmly.

Suffering is Still Fruitful

No doubt, when we are in seasons of suffering and sadness, it affects our capacity to work and function at our regular pace. As someone who coaches clients on time management, I often mention that we all operate with the same number of hours a day, yet we often fail to account for our capacity. When we experience twists and turns, it is prudent to allow ourselves permission to conserve energy—even if that means saying no to good things or routine activities.

This season, while life-changing, will not last forever. No season, good or bad, ever does. Yet, our hope is not in the changing of time and seasons but in the reminder of what is being produced and accomplished despite the hard.

Romans 5:3–5 says, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

We can hope and even find joy when we walk through trials because of what is being produced in us, not simply in hindsight but presently. Yes, God will work your circumstances out for His good purposes, as Romans 8:28 reminds us, but He is also increasing our endurance and shaping our character today in pain.

Even in the Exodus story, the suffering and wandering were not purposeless. Despite the desert, the Israelites experienced God’s presence in a way they never had before. Because God promises His nearness when we call on Him, keep your eyes awake to how He is reshaping you and bearing fruit amid your suffering.

Suffering is Lifesaving

Continuing with the Exodus story in the Old Testament, the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. Though their forty-year wilderness season was long and difficult, they were saved from further oppression by the Egyptians. This begs the question: What if suffering saves us from something?

We are often tempted to think suffering keeps us from something better or something different than what we deserve. What if we could shift our mindset around suffering and view it as lifesaving rather than life-taking?

There was a season when the Lord called our family to live in New York City. Starting a growing family and managing finances month to month was beyond difficult. It was in that season, however, that my husband and I learned to lean on the Lord for our ultimate provision. Away from family, we experienced the church as our family. God used that weary and worry-filled time to remind us that He is our sole source of strength. To say that God used those difficult years in many ways to reshape our hearts and minds for greater things is an understatement.

What about you? Can you look back at past seasons of suffering and admit they saved you from loving the things of this world or taking time for granted with those you love? Suffering reorients our love at the core level. That’s why it’s painful, but suffering also offers an invitation to hope.

Even as we look to our Savior’s example—Christ’s suffering on the cross paved the way for new life to come after deep suffering. Our eternal salvation was secured through the deepest suffering any human could experience.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by suffering or sadness in this season, remember these three truths: suffering is an invitation, suffering is still fruitful, and suffering is lifegiving even in the deserts of life. Know you are not alone, and as we cling to these reminders together, may we also rejoice with hope amidst the trials certain of the purpose through the pain.