In case you don’t know it, I’m transitioning from a counselor to a life coach. Because of that, I’ve been working diligently over the past year and a half to develop my coaching niches. One of the areas I’ve researched has been finding and clarifying “purpose” or “calling” in peoples’ lives.

What’s interesting is that people often look at what energizes them to uncover their purpose in life (and this is important). But very often, and in my case this is definitely true, a purpose or calling is discovered out of suffering and lessons learned in that painful journey—hence, for me, Messy Marriage, the blog/ministry was born.

Do you have something painful that you’re going through or don’t understand fully now?

Have you ever considered that your pain may be leading to God’s purposes for your life?

I’m not necessarily saying that if your husband is having an affair, God may one day lead you and your husband to minister together with couples who’re struggling from the fall-out of an affair … but it could be.

Or

It could be that God will give you the desire to write about your struggles in a blog or book.

Or 

It could be that God will turn your pain into compassion for those who’ve experienced a broken home by offering to foster or adopt a child.

Or

It could be that you’ll simply feel a burden to continually pray for married couples who’ve struggled in this way.

I don’t know, but I do know that God is the Great Redeemer and is able to transform our messes into mighty messages, as well as, beautiful blessings for the benefit of others.

What struggles have you gone through in your life that make you uniquely qualified to help others? Have you lived with or through a …

• Life-threatening or chronic illness or disability?
• Infertility?
• Miscarriage?
• Rebellious child?
• Loss of a child?
• Financial worries or fall-out?
• Spouse who’s apathetic?
• Addicted spouse?
• Abusive spouse?
• Mentally ill spouse?
• Childhood trauma?

Of course, this list is not exhaustive, but it does offer examples of just the kind of thing that God loves to redeem! So ask yourself today …

What does God want to redeem from my pain? 

What purpose is He going to do in my life because of the lessons I’ve learned from my suffering?

And I’d love to know what you sense God is telling you so that I can pray for your God-given purpose!

“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3 (NLT)

Photo credit by Umair Mohsin (Flickr)