Many years ago, I was listening to a pastor share at an event, and he said the following statement:

Service is the only thing that makes sense in the pain.

It’s a statement I have thought about on and off over the years, but recently, I’ve found myself thinking about it a lot. Our family is currently living through what I can only describe as a heartbreaking season. It’s not by our choice or by our own doing, but with minimal control over the situation and due to the actions of others, our hearts are hurting like they have never hurt before.

Uncertainty in the pain.

In seasons of heartache and uncertainty, our faith is usually the first thing that is shaken. We ask questions of God like, “why, Lord?” or “Why didn’t You stop it, Lord?”. Sometimes we get angry at God and turn our backs on Him, blaming Him for the actions of other people. We believe the lie that He must not love us if He allowed bad things to happen to us. Our humanity and our pain are so great, we struggle to reconcile a loving God who would allow us to suffer in such a way.

I have sat in each one of those chairs. I have questioned and cried and raged and given God the silent treatment. And all of it has come from a place of pain and confusion. When life knocks us down, our pain is real. Our experiences are real, and our feelings are valid. But they don’t define God and His character. God defines Himself and His character. He is the Creator of all, including you and I, so we don’t get to define Him. He gets to define Him and He does through His words in the Bible. And what His Word says is that He loves us (Romans 5:8); He is faithful (1 Corinthians 10:13); He is patient (2 Peter 3:9), and He is unchanging (Hebrews 13:8), just to name a few.

Serving through the pain.

In times of pain and suffering, reminding ourselves of these truths is crucial because pain is loud. It can be all consuming. Praying and spending time in God’s Word will help us to remember who He is and remember that no one comforts like God can. But sometimes, we also need to do something practical, which brings me back to serving is what makes sense in the pain.

When life is out of our control, focusing on things we can control can help, and serving others in some way is in our control. This will look different for everyone. For some, it will mean volunteering somewhere. For others, it can be financially contributing to something, or providing your resources for free. For some, it could be joining a team at church, or a working bee, or cooking meals for people in the community. The options are endless, but the beauty is we have options. There is always something we can do to help someone else.

Hebrews 13:16 tells us, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” There is no caveat around that verse. There is no, “do not neglect to do good only if you’re feeling up to it.” We’re told to do good and share what we have. And so we should. We should go out into the world and bless others in some capacity if we are able to. And from personal experience, I can say that serving does make sense in the pain.

As we’ve navigated this season of pain, we’ve chosen to serve people around us. Despite opposition and obstacle, we’ve dug our heels in and determined that we will serve in ministry and in our community in some capacity. We’re currently serving our local community and whilst it doesn’t take away from our situation, seeing people’s needs met has been a balm to our weary hearts. Listening to people’s stories as we serve them or walk alongside them in their situations is beautiful. We determined that we would be vessels for God to use, and seeing God work through us has been incredible.

The pain is not the end.

It’s also been a needed reminder that our circumstances don’t define how God sees us or loves us, and it also doesn’t diminish our calling. God is not surprised by this season we are in. He knew we would be here when He called us to step into ministry and service. God knows and He sees, and He is near. And when we combine our trust in God with our prayers, our time in His Word, and our commitment to be His vessels and serve others, we get to see firsthand the beautiful tapestry that He is weaving.

Whatever your season looks like, I pray that you would remember that you are seen by God, loved by God, and can be used mightily by God if you allow Him.