Pain Is Often the Price of Growth

“When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1:3-4 (NLT)

It's possible to grow during times of bright, fair weather—but you put down deeper roots during the dark days of life.

As a pastor, I’ve heard from countless people who said they had grown more through separation, illness, job loss, or tragedy than they would have otherwise. They recognized how God had used difficulty to draw them closer to him and mature them.

The Bible says it this way: "When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing" (James 1:3-4 NLT).

Let it grow! When you let God into your problems and don’t push him out, then you’ll develop endurance that will make you ready for anything—strong in character, full and complete.

Pain is the high cost of growth. The old cliché is true: There is no gain without pain. We want the quick solution and the easy fix. We want the pill or the seminar or the book that's going to change everything without involving pain. We want the product that brings maturity without the painful process. But that isn't going to happen!

Theologian J. I. Packer said, “God uses chronic pain and weakness, along with all the other inflictions, as his chisel for sculpting our lives. It deepens our dependence upon Christ for strength each day. And the weaker we feel, the harder we lean, and the harder we lean, the stronger we grow spiritually.”

The very thing that's discouraging you right now is the very thing God is using to develop you right now.       

How was David able to write such beautiful and powerful psalms? Because through all the loneliness, neglect, and injustice he went through as a young shepherd and even as a king, David knew God was with him the whole time. David wrote his most beautiful words in his deepest pain.

There will be growth in the painful parts of life that you will not gain any other way. The process will not make you perfect, but it will move you toward being more like Christ. And if you’ll trust God to keep you and walk with you in your pain, he will develop endurance in you and give you his peace and rest.

In summary:

Growth comes most deeply not in easy seasons but in life’s hardest moments, when pain, loss, and trials test faith and push roots down deeper into God’s strength. James 1:3-4 reminds us that endurance develops through testing, shaping character and moving us toward completeness in Christ. While we often long for quick fixes without pain, true maturity only comes through the refining process of difficulty, where God uses challenges as tools to sculpt us and draw us closer to him. Just as David wrote his most powerful psalms out of seasons of loneliness and hardship, our deepest growth often flows from our hardest experiences. If we choose to lean on God in the midst of struggle, he will grow endurance, deepen dependence, and bring peace, shaping us into who he’s called us to be.

Bottom line:

My deepest growth and strength come through trials—when U trust God in pain, he develops endurance, character, and Christlikeness in me.

My next wisest step:

I should integrate my personal testimony of growth through challenges into my interaction with others. Draft one story from my life where God used pain to grow my endurance, then shape it into something I can share with others.

No Fear, Just Faith in God’s Promises

“The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” Psalm 118:6 (NLT)

God is calling me, as his child, to be a promise person.

What’s a promise person? It’s simply someone who chooses to focus on God and his promises.

If I try to do anything of value in life, naysayers will eventually come your way. They might ridicule me, spread rumors about me, or even threaten me. 

But don’t focus on the naysayers or even on my problems. Focus on God and his promises. Become a promise person.

The Bible tells us how Jesus responded to criticism: “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23 NIV).

When a naysayer comes your way, don’t gossip about them to a co-worker or friend. Instead, entrust myself to God and his promises. Pray, “Lord, I know you love me. I know you have a plan for my life. I’m going to trust you.” 

King David said it like this: “The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (Psalm 118:6 NLT).

People can dislike me—but it won’t harm me. I don’t need anyone else’s approval to be happy. I will be as happy as I choose to be! I don’t need approval from a parent, sibling, or friend. The Lord is for me. And his is the only opinion that matters.

In Psalm 119:11, David wrote, “I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart” (MSG).

David knew that when he faced criticism, his greatest encouragement would come from God’s promises. So he memorized those promises and reminded himself of them often. In moments of discouragement, he held onto what he knew was true—because God had said it.

That’s what I need to do. Stop storing up in my mind all the negativity that comes my way. Instead, become a promise person. Study God’s Word, memorize it, and then I will be able to recall it.

Bank on the promises of God. And trust he will do exactly what he says he will do.

In summary:

Being a “promise person” means choosing to focus on God and his promises instead of critics, problems, or the need for others’ approval. Just as Jesus entrusted himself to God when insulted, and David declared, “The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear,” I can anchor my confidence in God’s love and plan. People may dislike or criticize me, but their opinion doesn’t define my worth or joy—God’s promises do. By storing his Word in my heart and recalling it in times of discouragement, I can stand firm, trust him fully, and live free of fear, knowing he will do what he says.

Bottom Line:

Don’t let criticism, negativity, or the need for others’ approval define me—stand firm by trusting God’s promises, because His opinion and plan for mt life are what truly matter.

Next Wisest Step:

Pick one promise from Scripture that speaks directly to a current season (like Psalm 118:6) and commit it to memory this week. Each time doubt, criticism, or discouragement creeps in, repeat that verse out loud and use it as my anchor.

Lead by Seeking First: Giving God Your Full Attention

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)

Giving someone your attention is arguably the greatest gift I can give them. Why? Because my time is my life.

When I turn my face to someone and focus my eyes on them, it shows that I genuinely care and are interested in what they have to say.

I can do this with God—I can turn my face to him in prayer. Just look up! Show him that I'm checking in and ready to talk. Even though it’s a good way to pray, there's nothing in the Bible that says I have to close my eyes or bow my head. I can pray out loud and look up, it will give me a physical reminder that I’m focusing my attention on God.

Daniel did this when he needed God’s help and wisdom: “So I gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer” (Daniel 9:3 NASB).

God wants me to seek him—and the Bible is filled with promises for those who do:

“Seek me and live” (Amos 5:4 NIV). As I persistently seek God, I'll start learning how to really live.

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me” (Proverbs 8:17 NIV). If I'm having trouble finding God, make sure I'm seeking him with the right motives—wanting to know him and not just wanting to get something from him.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV). I'm going to find God when I make spending time with him a priority—when I see it as critical to my daily life, not just something I might get around to in my spare time.

“God . . . rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). Would I like God to reward my business, finances, relationships, and my future? Then seek him.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need” (Luke 12:31 NLT). When I pursue God first, the stresses and worries of the world will lessen their hold on me.

So give God my attention. Turn my face to him, and show him that he has first place in my life.

In summary:

The greatest gift I can give anyone—including God—is my attention, because my time is my life. Just as turning my face and focusing on someone shows genuine care, I can turn my attention toward God in prayer, seeking him with sincerity and priority. The Bible promises that those who earnestly seek God will find him, experience true life, receive his rewards, and see their needs met. Seeking God with all my heart means making time with him essential, not optional. When I give God first place in my life, I discover his presence, wisdom, and provision in every area.

Bottom Line:

When I give God my full attention and seek Him with all my heart, He promises that I will find Him—and in doing so, He provides what I truly need.

Next wisest steps:

Build a short, intentional daily rhythm of seeking God first—each morning of prayer and Scripture before emails, business, or planning. This will keep my leadership and relationships grounded in God’s wisdom and presence.

Getting to the Root, Not the Symptom

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”   Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

In my yard I'm always battling weeds. When I want to get rid of weeds, I don’t just go out and cut them off with pruning shears or a weed wacker. I need to pull them out by the root. If I just cut off the weed itself—the symptom—it’s going to grow right back.  

It’s the same with the world’s problems. People have tried many approaches to solving them. But too often, only the symptoms get addressed and not the underlying cause—because if the root is still there, the problems will keep growing back.

No man-made approach addresses the root cause—the heart—of the problems in our world. Even when it’s a good or noble approach, they’re never enough. The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV).

I could try an educational approach, but it doesn’t get to the heart of the problem. I can be educated, but it doesn’t change my character.

The economic approach doesn’t get to the heart. Money doesn’t solve all my problems. If it did, the wealthiest people in the world would be problem-free, and that’s just not true.

The psychological approach doesn’t get to the heart. Yes, it’s helpful and can make people feel better, but I was created for more than a life free from stress and anxiety. I was created for a purpose.

The sociological approach doesn’t get to the heart. Throughout history, well-meaning people have worked to change the social structures of society. But we can see how little people have really changed, even in the 21st century.

The biological approach thinks every problem can be solved by a pill or a procedure, and the technological approach says innovation is our salvation. Each one has an important role in advancing society. But none of them get to the root cause of all the problems on the planet.

If there’s going to be any real, long-term change, it has to start in the heart. That’s how God works—through transforming lives from the inside out.

God specializes in changing prejudiced people into loving people and hateful people into kind people and self-centered people into unselfish people. No law will ever teach people how to love. Only God can do that. Transformation starts in the heart through the power of the Holy Spirit. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (NIV).

The heart of the problem is a problem of the heart. I'm not going to see any lasting change in society until there is lasting change in my heart and the hearts of others.

How’s my heart doing? Before I can help anyone else with their problems, I've got to let God work on me first. When my heart is in the right place with him, that’s when I'm able to point others to the only real solution that gets to the root of all problems—to Jesus, the One who can actually change hearts.

In summary:

The root of every lasting change begins in the heart. Just like weeds in a yard must be pulled out by the root to truly be gone, the world’s problems can’t be solved by surface-level fixes like education, money, psychology, or even social reform—because none of these address the deeper issue. The Bible teaches that the heart is deceitful and desperately in need of transformation, and only God can truly change it. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God works from the inside out—turning prejudice into love, hate into kindness, and selfishness into generosity. Proverbs 4:23 reminds me to guard my heart, because everything flows from it. Real and lasting change in the world starts with God changing my heart first, and then through me, pointing others to Jesus, the only one who can truly transform lives.

Bottom Line:

Real and lasting change begins with the heart, and only God—through Jesus—can transform it.

Next wisest step:

I need to tend to my own heart first by deepening my daily time with God in Scripture and prayer, so that I'm leading from a place of transformation rather than just information. I can then begin weaving this message—“lasting change starts in the heart”—into interaction with others as a core principle that aligns with both my faith and leadership mission.

Listening for God in His Word

“Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 2 Chronicles 20:15 (NLT)

Prayer is a conversation, not a monologue. When I pray, don’t do all the talking! I can't build a friendship with God if I don’t let him talk to me.

So, how do I let God talk to me? Through the Bible. So much of what he wants to say to me is already in his Word. People are always looking for some sign, thinking, I wish God would tell me what he wants me to do. I wish he would write it in the sky. But God’s not going to write his will in the sky because he's already written it in a Book—the Bible!

Stop looking for a sign, and start looking at Scripture. Stop looking for a vision, and start looking for a verse. God's will is in God's Word. The more I read his Book, the more I'm going to know what to do.

King Jehoshaphat was facing three enemy armies that teamed up and advanced against him and God’s people, Israel. Israel knew they didn’t have the strength to fight them. They knew that, in their own power, they would be defeated. So they prayed for help. This is what God said to them:

“‘Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s . . . You will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!’ Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the LORD” (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17-18 NLT).

Imagine an entire nation on the ground, on their knees, bowing down and worshiping God because he told them, "I'm going to take care of it."

I need to let Jehoshaphat's prayer of surrender be a model for myself. And don't be afraid or discouraged! It's God’s battle, and he’ll handle it. Keep serving in my position. Wait, and watch what God does.

God has so many amazing promises for me. But I'll never know about them until I open the Bible and start reading.

In summary:

This passage reminds me that prayer is not just me talking to God—it’s also letting him speak to me through his Word. Instead of looking for signs or visions, I need to open the Bible, where God has already revealed his will. The story of King Jehoshaphat shows that when the odds are overwhelming, the battle isn’t mine—it’s God’s. My role is to pray, take my position, and trust him, not give in to fear or discouragement. Just as Israel bowed down and worshiped while God promised to fight for them, I too can surrender, stay faithful, and wait expectantly for God’s victory, knowing his promises are found and fulfilled in Scripture.

Bottom Line:

Stop carrying battles that belong to God—surrender to Him, listen through His Word, and trust that He will fight for you.

My next step is to strengthen my daily rhythm of listening to God through Scripture, then actively share one key insight each week with the people in my life.

“Stop looking for signs—open God’s Word, surrender the battle to him, and trust his promise of victory.”

Your Future Grows from What You Plant Today

“Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow—perhaps it all will.” Ecclesiastes 11:6 (CEV)

Everything in my life starts as a seed. There are many kinds of seeds—beautiful seeds like kindness, love, faith, and integrity. And then there are uglier seeds, like gossip and greed. But there are two things all seeds have in common. First, all seeds need time to grow. And second, I harvest whatever I have sown.

Think about literal, physical seeds. When I plant a seed in the ground, there is always a waiting time between planting and harvesting. I sow in one season, and I reap in another season. I don’t plant tomato seeds and pick a tomato an hour later. I have to wait.

It’s the same way in life. Maybe I’ve planted seeds of kindness in a relationship. I don’t necessarily reap kindness immediately. I have to plant the seeds, trust God to grow them, and then wait.

Ecclesiastes says, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. . . . A time to plant and a time to harvest . . . A time to scatter . . . and a time to gather” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 5 NLT).

Once the seeds have grown and I'm ready to harvest, I can trust that I will gather what I have sown.

If I plant seeds of gossip, the people in my life will likely gossip about me too. But if I plant seeds of kindness, people will be kind to me in return. If I plant seeds of faith, I will experience faithfulness.

So what do I do while I'm waiting on God—after I’ve planted seeds and are waiting on them to be ready to harvest? I keep sowing the kind of seeds I want to reap.

The Living Bible paraphrase says, “Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow—perhaps it all will” (Ecclesiastes 11:6).

Am I waiting a long time for the harvest in my life? If so, here is a verse for encouragement. In Habakkuk 2, God says, “At the time I have decided, my words will come true.  You can trust what I say about the future. It may take a long time, but keep on waiting— it will happen!” (Habakkuk 2:3 CEV).

The harvest may be slow in coming, but God says that, at the right time, it will. Keep waiting, trusting God, and sowing good seeds in my life. God will grow my seeds, and one day I will reap a harvest. 

In summary: 

Everything in life begins as a seed—whether good ones like kindness, faith, and integrity, or destructive ones like gossip and greed—and each seed takes time to grow before it can be harvested. Just as in farming, sowing and reaping happen in different seasons, so in life we must patiently wait for the results of what we’ve planted, trusting God to bring growth in His timing. What we sow, we will eventually reap: kindness produces kindness, gossip produces gossip, and faith produces faithfulness. While waiting for the harvest, the key is to keep sowing good seeds, knowing that God promises the harvest will come at the appointed time.

Bottom Line:

Keep planting good seeds through your actions and attitudes, trust God with the timing, and stay patient—because in the right season, you will reap a harvest.

So I need to start consistently “sowing” seeds of value into those that God brings around me.

Finding Purpose in Your Past

“Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else.” Galatians 6:4 (CSB)

I've been looking at the unique ways God has made me—how he planned every day of my life before I was born and how he gave me my own unique SHAPE—Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences.

But even when I know that God formed me intentionally and uniquely, I still find myself unsure of how to move forward—in ministry or in life. At times, when I think about the future, I can feel more confusion and less joy.

When this happens, it might be overlooking the advice the Bible from Galatians 6:4: “Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else” (CSB).

The Bible gives two-part guidance here. First, I should “examine my own work.” In other words, I should look at my past and learn from it.

Next, I should “not compare myself with someone else.” As I examine my own life, don’t let my eyes wander to how God is working in people around me. Concentrate on what he’s done in and through me instead.

There are plenty of reasons to not compare myself to others. One, I will always be able to find someone who seems to be doing a better job than me—and that can lead to discouragement. Two, I will always be able to find someone who doesn’t seem as effective as me—and that can lead to pride. Either attitude will rob me of my joy.

God has a better way to help me discover what’s next. He wants me to take a close look at my past so that I'll be able to step into the future he’s prepared for me.

God doesn’t want me to waste my past. God wants to use it.

But sometimes it can be hard to know how to look back effectively over my life. Here’s one easy exercise I found to get me started:

Take a half-hour this week. Sit down with a piece of paper. Separate it with a line for each period of my life. I could decide to divide my life into five-year periods, or into decades.

Now it’s time to “examine my own work” by creating a life inventory.

Answer these two questions for each time period: What was I good at doing? What did I enjoy doing?

Now go back and look for patterns. If I was good at something when I was younger, I still am. Maybe there’s something I enjoyed a few years ago that I've forgotten about.

After I’ve identified patterns in my life, ask God what he wants me to do with this information. He might show me things in my past that I can celebrate and be proud of. And seeing patterns of what I’ve enjoyed or been good at over the years can help me know how God might want to work through me in the future. 

I shouldn't get caught in a trap of comparison. Instead, take an honest look at my own past. And then step forward with confidence into my future.

In summary:

God designed me uniquely with my own SHAPE—Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences—and calls me to focus on how He has worked in my life instead of comparing myself to others. Galatians 6:4 teaches me to examine my own work, learning from the past so I can step into the future God has prepared. Comparison only leads to discouragement or pride, both of which steal joy, but reflecting on my past strengths and joys reveals patterns of how God has shaped me. By taking time to inventory my life, I can see His hand at work, celebrate His faithfulness, and move forward with confidence into His purpose for me.

Bottom line:

God calls me to examine my own life, learn from my past, and focus on how He uniquely shaped me—without comparing myself to others—so I can step confidently into the future He has prepared for me.

So “Stop comparing, start examining—your past reveals God’s design for your future.”