Pain Points

Spiritual Essential: Transformation

Reading: James 1:2-4

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Walk into any gym and you’ll see it — pain. Not the kind that sends you to the ER, but the kind that signals effort, struggle, growth. Burning lungs, sore muscles, hands torn from pull-ups — athletes endure this kind of pain with purpose. They know what the suffering is producing: strength, capacity, transformation. No one likes it. Ok, maybe some like it. But they all learn to embrace it. Because in training, all pain has a point.

James says the same is true in our spiritual life. “Whenever you face trials…” — not if, but when. Trials are part of the process. But instead of escaping them, James tells us to consider it joy. Why? Because God is up to something in the pain. He’s producing perseverance, and perseverance is what shapes us into the image of Jesus.

We define transformation as the Spirit-led process of becoming more like Jesus, where God reshapes our inner life so that our outward actions reflect His character. But here’s the truth: transformation doesn’t happen in the absence of hardship — it happens right in the middle of it. God uses pressure, resistance, and discomfort to refine what’s underneath the surface. Trials reveal what we really trust. They strip away self-reliance and expose where we need to grow.

Think about it like a workout you didn’t choose — one that’s heavier, longer, or more complex than you expected. You don’t tap out just because it’s hard. You dig deep. You push through. Why? Because you trust that the coach programmed it for a reason. You believe in what it will produce. God does the same with your life. He allows the weight, not to crush you, but to change you — to make you more resilient, more faithful, more like Christ.

So how does God use hardship to grow and refine us? He meets us in the struggle. He trains our perseverance. He builds maturity that can’t be faked or fast-tracked. And just like in the gym, the pain isn’t wasted — it’s doing something in you that comfort never could.

Keep showing up. Keep moving through the discomfort. Let perseverance finish its work. Because in God’s hands, every hardship has purpose — and every pain has a point.

Questions for Reflection:

How has pain accomplished purpose in your life?

Where is God growing you right now?