No one likes to think about it, but after making bad choices, falling into sin, or ignoring God’s leading there are always consequences amidst the grace. And depending on the level of egregiousness, the fallout can range from mere discomfort to a debilitating amount of pain and despair.

If you find yourself dealing with the latter right now, my message to you is this: don’t waste it.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God uses our grief, our joy, our loss, our gain, our trials and our triumphs to grow us close to Him, even when it feels unbearable. Nothing is wasted.

Whenever I’ve found myself up a creek, I’ve faced two choices. Fall prey to condemnation hurled by the enemy. Or lean into God.

Because this is what the enemy wants us to feel, and believe: You’ve screwed it up too badly for it to ever be right again. God’s disappointed and fed up with you. A “strong Christian” would never find herself in this mess. You’re too old and pathetic to still be learning your lessons the hard way. It can go on and on.

So, it’s time to remember these few truths.

First, God forgives. Let’s not waste time tossing out all the cringe worthy mistakes and offenses we’ve committed because we know Jesus’ blood covers them all. And yes, that includes almost poisoning your ex-husband (or at least dreaming about it) before the divorce was final.

Second. God restores. The Biblical definition of “restore” means to return something to its original state, or to make something better than it is. I don’t care what kind of nightmare you’re living right now, God already has a plan to get you out. He’ll use every last ounce of your pain and remorse to make you a stronger, more tender, more refined version of yourself (thanks God!), whether it feels like it right now, or not.

More on that later, but back to the less fabulous consequence discussion. When intentionally living out of God’s will, everything just becomes “off.” More often than not, our bank accounts, our health, our relationships and even our creative endeavors take a hit.

Those who don’ know the Lord see this as punitive, but it makes complete sense. When turning from God-the very essence of love, goodness and wisdom- we’re typically not running towards rainbows and butterflies.

So, for example, if you chose a certain spouse despite the 112 flaming red flags God hurled your way, you’re likely gonna suffer a little. If you chose to ignore the Spirit’s leading away from an unhealthy vice, you might find yourself battling a full-blown addiction, years later. There’s no way around it…life is going to be hard for a while. Thankfully is where our kindred spirit, King David steps in with some much-needed reminders

In Psalm 119:71 David writes “It was good for me to be afflicted, that I might learn your decrees. This means that even though suffering and hardship can be painful, we gain a deeper understanding and obedience of God’s ways by relying more fully on God and seeking his guidance through difficult times. So even though it feels about as pleasant as kissing a cactus, pain can be a catalyst for spiritual growth.

But here’s where we often get tripped up, and here’s what we need to remember. Your pain doesn’t equal God’s ambivalence. Your suffering doesn’t equivocate to God’s anger, and your misery and sadness isn’t synonymous to God’s disappointment or punishment.

Your pain is God’s kindness. Because without it, we’d never grow, break free from unhealthy patterns or strongholds, and we’d be finding ourselves in the same s storm season after season…with even deeper crow’s feet.

In less time than you think, God will redeem this part of our story. But our involvement can’t be passive. He’s not going to wave a wand and erase our co-dependency or our reliance on food for comfort. Often we need to repent. We need to grieve and surrender. We need ask-like really ask- for help in following and relying on Him more closely, going forward.

God hates sin, but I’m convinced he cares more about the state of our hearts than the speed of our sanctification. We’re all working out our salvation and we all come here with different levels of trauma and weaknesses to overcome, with Him.

If you feel God’s discipline right now, try and remember there’s a point to it. Don’ numb out or run away. Try and look at season as a rebuilding time, with you and Jesus repairing your heart together. When you really press into Him, looking for clarity and healing you’ll feel a hundred times better, and you’ll heal so much quicker. xo

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”-Revelation 21:4.

Have you signed up for my weekly blog yet? If not click here and you also get a free digital copy of my book, Hiding from the Kids in My Prayer Closet!