Spiritual Growth Through Pain: When Doing Great Requires Feeling Awful
In his book Shattered Dreams, Larry Crabb explores a profound and often overlooked truth: spiritual growth often requires enduring pain. He writes, “Doing great on the journey to God requires that we feel awful.” While this may seem counterintuitive, the Bible supports the idea that suffering is a powerful tool for transformation and deepening faith. This article unpacks the role of spiritual growth through pain, drawing on Crabb’s insights and relevant Bible verses.
The Reality of Spiritual Growth Through Pain
Unlike the secular journey, which focuses on comfort and self-sufficiency, the spiritual journey embraces discomfort as part of a greater purpose. Crabb warns against the trap of a “self-sufficient” life that ignores the deeper yearning for God. The Bible echoes this in Mark 8:36: “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
Pain becomes an opportunity for transformation. As Crabb explains, spiritual growth through pain doesn’t seek immediate relief but looks to deepen our relationship with God. This perspective shifts our focus from temporary fixes to eternal hope.
Biblical Examples of Spiritual Growth Through Pain
The Bible is filled with examples of individuals who experienced spiritual growth through pain. These stories remind us that suffering is not the end but the means to a closer relationship with God.
- Joseph: Sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph faced betrayal and hardship. Yet, in Genesis 50:20, he says, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” Joseph’s faith enabled him to see God’s purpose in his suffering.
- Paul: Despite pleading for relief from his “thorn in the flesh,” Paul learned to rely on God’s grace. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
- Jesus: The ultimate example of spiritual growth through pain is Christ Himself. Hebrews 5:8 reminds us, “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered.”
How Spiritual Growth Through Pain Brings Hope
Crabb highlights that an untroubled heart in the spiritual sense doesn’t mean the absence of suffering but rather a hope anchored in God. As Romans 5:3-5 states: “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
This hope is not dependent on external circumstances but on the promise of God’s presence and ultimate redemption. Revelation 21:4 assures us, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
A Path Marked by Longing
Crabb describes those on the spiritual journey as longing for transformation and a deeper connection with God. They are not content with the good things of this life but yearn for eternal fulfillment. John 14:2-3 reflects this longing: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”
This longing turns pain into a gift, reminding us of our dependence on God and the eternal joy that awaits.
Living With Purpose Through Pain
Spiritual growth through pain calls us to live with a renewed sense of purpose. Instead of avoiding discomfort, we are invited to embrace it, trusting that God uses our struggles to shape us into who He created us to be. As James 1:2-4 teaches, “Consider it pure joy… whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
Crabb’s poignant observation remains true: “The Spirit’s masterpiece is the man or woman who much prefers to live elsewhere, who finds no deep joy in the good things of this life, whose highest dream is to be in the Presence of the grace-filled Father.”
Conclusion
Larry Crabb’s Shattered Dreams offers a challenging yet hopeful message: spiritual growth through pain is not only possible but essential. By embracing suffering as part of God’s divine plan, we can experience transformation, deepen our faith, and find hope in His eternal promises.
Pain is not the end of the story—it’s the means by which God draws us closer to Him. As we navigate our own shattered dreams, may we keep our eyes fixed on the eternal joy that comes from knowing Him.
Sources
- Crabb, Larry. Shattered Dreams: God’s Unexpected Path to Joy. WaterBrook, 2001.
- The Holy Bible, New International Version.
- Insights from Christian counseling literature on spiritual growth.
