Purpose Can Be Pain

During my daily reflection a few days back, I had this thought: sometimes - actually, most times - I believe, walking in purpose means walking through pain, discomfort, or stress.

Many times, especially as Christians, when we hear the word Purpose, we imagine a life of ease or comfort. The Perfect Life.

However, I’ve come to realize that purpose can sometimes be a burden. Our purpose can be encapsulated in a burden we have been called to carry.

Take Joseph in the Bible, for example. Walking in purpose for Joseph meant being thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused by his master’s wife, and eventually imprisoned. While all these might sound like terrible circumstances, because we know the story, we see how every painful experience was perfectly aligned with his purpose.

Or look at Jesus. His purpose meant being disgraced, tortured in the worst way possible, and ultimately crucified, the worst kind of death. Yet, even in that pain, His purpose was fulfilled.

Purpose can be painful.

But here’s one thing I know: though t can be painful, walking in purpose has a flip side to it. It comes with an inner sense of peace and fulfillment. While the world around may seem to be collapsing, the one walking in purpose experiences a deeper, unexplainable peace. I believe this is the very peace Paul mentions in Philippians 4:7 - 'the peace of God that transcends all understanding...'.

I love to use the illustration of a storm. In a massive storm, like a hurricane or cyclone, the very center - the eye of the storm - is calm and peaceful. I picture the believer walking in purpose as someone positioned right in that eye. He looks around and sees chaos everywhere, yet he remains at peace. Outsiders looking at his life may only see trouble, but when he tells his story, it will be a story of peace, a peace that transcends all understanding.

Still using the storm analogy, here’s another truth: storms move. They don’t remain in one spot; they pass through. In the same way, I believe the “purpose storm” in our lives isn’t static, it moves us forward. The place where you are when the storm begins won’t be the same place you’ll be when it ends. It will have moved you closer to your destiny.

Consider Joseph again. From a natural perspective, moving from Potiphar’s house to the prison seemed like a setback. But in reality, the prison was closer to the palace than Potiphar’s house ever was. The storm was progress in disguise.

So here’s my charge: Purpose doesn’t always come with comfort. Sometimes the storm you’re facing is the very purpose of God you’ve been praying to walk in. Embrace it. Let it do its work. Rest in the peace of God within the storm. And when it passes, you’ll find yourself exactly where you need to be.

Stay blessed.