Don't Waste Your Pain by Godman AkinlabiSample

Pain Undeserved.

There are certain experiences that are completely out of our hands. Right at the top of the list is the pain we experience from family. We have absolutely no say in where or to whom we are born; it is completely at God’s discretion. Were you loved and doted over or were you battered and broken by the pain of abuse? While positive childhood experiences can give wings to one’s future, negative experiences can often cripple a child. 

There are also others who, though were not born into abusive circles, enter into painful experiences as life unfolds. For instance, when one enters a marriage or relationship where physical or emotional abuse occurs. Perhaps your husband turned out to be a mean drunk or your wife cheated on you, or some other circumstances resulted in a separation and possibly a divorce. These experiences are very painful and can haunt you for the rest of your life. So what do you do when life deals you a bad hand?

Joseph is an example of a person born into both favor and disfavor. He didn’t do anything to deserve his father’s love, neither did he do anything that deserved the hatred of his brothers. Yet, thanks to his brothers’ jealousy, for 13 years Joseph lived as a slave and a felon. It appeared on the face of it that he had sufficient reason to curse God, but he didn’t. He chose to trust God and believe His promises. When it seemed like he was nothing but a middle-aged slave, his life took a sharp turn for the better and he became the Prime Minister of Egypt. 

When Joseph had the opportunity to get back at his brothers, he didn’t. Instead, he understood that God allowed the pain for a purpose. Without him going to Egypt and rising to such a position of authority, the Israelites may not have survived the famine. It is with this understanding that Joseph was able to forgive his brothers and embrace both his past and future.

It is time to stop living in regret concerning the circumstances of your birth. You may be orphaned, poor, abandoned, disabled, or maltreated. People may have cursed and despised you for circumstances beyond your control. God still has a plan for your life. Can you believe that through it all, God has been positioning you for greatness? He has. You may not understand it today but be assured that in God, your tomorrow will be triumphant.