How to Get Through What You’re Going Through

The concept of redemptive suffering

The Sources of Suffering

There are various causes for the problems, pains, and suffering in our lives. Some of these difficulties arise from our own actions, choices, and through poor decisions. Poor decisions can lead to hardship and pain.

For instance, overspending and accumulating debt by buying things beyond our means can lead to losing our homes. In such situations, we can't blame God or anyone else and to learn from these, we must take full responsibility for our actions.

However, some of our problems are not of our making. There are times when we experience pain and suffer as a result of the actions, ignorance, or behavior of those around us.

But there are times when our pain serves a purpose beyond our immediate understanding. This is a different kind of suffering where God may allow us to face challenges so that we can gain empathy, and understanding, and ultimately help others who go through similar struggles.

This kind of suffering is called redemptive suffering which resonates with me.

The Concept of Redemptive Suffering

Redemptive suffering is when you go through a problem or pain to later help others who are going through the same kind of problem or pain.

The belief is that by enduring suffering, we can participate in the redemptive work of God and contribute to the spiritual well-being of others.

In Christianity, for example, the concept of redemptive suffering is closely linked to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. According to Christian theology, Jesus suffered and died on the cross as a sacrifice for the redemption of humanity’s sins.

I’m not worthy and I don’t compare with Jesus, but I reached a point a few years ago when I felt worn out by life. I felt like I was wandering through shadows in a dark, empty space. I just wanted to escape.

I was lost and uncertain about my identity and purpose. I had no idea why I was here or how I could make a meaningful impact in the world.

Life got so hard that I had lost all faith in God and myself, and felt utterly powerless. I had given away power when I let go of God and attached myself to the things of this world.

It was more than just a period of darkness; it was the darkest time of my life. I felt alone and I was in deep emotional pain that only God knew about. I felt everything intensely which made my sensitivity seem like a curse.

At times, I doubted if I would make it through. I felt like my life was falling apart, and I was on the verge of giving up.

Little did I know that all the hardships I was facing were part of a larger plan. The pain I endured was necessary for me to discover my purpose. The wounds I suffered were essential for me to gain wisdom. The solitude allowed me to truly find myself.

Suddenly, it became clear to me why things were unfolding the way they were and why I had to go through those challenging moments.

I had to become intimately familiar with darkness because my mission would later require me to guide others out of it. I needed to understand every corner and pathway in the dark to assist people in finding their way.

I had to go through my own pain so that I could empathize and support others through theirs. And my sensitivity, which I once saw as a curse, turned out to be a way for the Holy Spirit to flow through me. It was a gift, after all.

It’s truly incredible how God and the universe work. Things are not always what they appear, and everything happens for a reason.

Those who have personally faced and conquered challenges are often uniquely equipped to provide understanding, valuable insights, and support to others going through similar experiences.

Who can better help someone dealing with grief than someone who has experienced great loss?

Who can better help someone coping with anxiety than someone who has overcome their own anxieties?

Who can better help somebody struggling with an addiction than somebody who’s struggled with an addiction?

Who can better help somebody who’s lost a child than somebody who lost a child?

Who can help someone find their way in the darkness than someone who has been through the darkness?

Through redemptive suffering, we find purpose in our pain and have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of others.

If you’ve experienced pain, you have a purpose.

God Never Wastes Pain

Our purpose becomes clear when we face challenges and hardships. It’s as if God, in his wisdom, allows us to experience pain so that we can grow, develop empathy, and ultimately assist others going through similar struggles.

If you’ve experienced pain, you have a purpose. You can use that experience to help others facing the same difficulties.

The very thing you feel ashamed of could become your greatest asset in helping others. Even the experiences you wish you hadn’t gone through are precisely what God can use for good in life.

Pain is a pathway for power to be bestowed.

By enduring and overcoming our own trials, we become better equipped to offer guidance and support to those in need.

God comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort — we get a full measure of that, too.

© 2023 Kimberly Fosu.

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