Your Worst Days Are Not Wasted
Jesus Christ Can Turn Pain Toward Greater Good
Have you ever experienced something painful that you wished had never happened?
Maybe you have faced rejection, loss, family problems, betrayal, failure, loneliness, or a change you never wanted. During experiences like these, it can be difficult to imagine that anything meaningful could ever come from them.
Esther’s story began with danger and sorrow. Haman intended to destroy the Jews throughout the Persian Empire. Families faced the possibility of losing everything simply because of who they were and what they believed.
But Haman’s plan did not have the final word.
After Esther exposed him, Mordecai was elevated, the Jews were permitted to defend themselves, and their sorrow was turned into celebration. The scriptures describe the reversal by saying that the day their enemies hoped to overpower them “was turned to the contrary” (Esther 9:1).
God did not make Haman’s hatred good. Haman’s choices were evil.
But God was able to take what was intended for destruction and turn it toward deliverance, greater influence, and joy.
Joseph of Egypt experienced something similar. His brothers betrayed him and sold him into slavery. He later spent years as a servant and prisoner. Those experiences were not fair, and the choices made against him were not good.
Yet years later Joseph told his brothers:
“Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” (Genesis 50:20).
God used Joseph’s painful journey to place him in a position where he could save lives, including the lives of the very people who had hurt him.
The same principle can apply in our lives, although the good may not always appear quickly or dramatically.
A painful experience may eventually give you greater compassion for someone facing the same thing. A disappointment may redirect you toward an opportunity you never considered. A weakness may teach you to rely more fully upon the Savior. Something that once made you feel broken may someday help you understand and strengthen another person.
This does not mean you should pretend that pain does not hurt. It does not mean every tragedy was caused by God, or that every hardship will be completely resolved during mortality.
It means that pain does not have to be the end of your story.
Because of Jesus Christ, your worst days do not have to become wasted days.
He can take wounds and develop compassion. He can take loss and deepen faith. He can take experiences you never would have chosen and use them to shape the person you are becoming.
Not because the pain was good, but because the Savior is powerful enough to redeem it.
Scripture
“The day … was turned to the contrary.”
—Esther 9:1
Reflection
What difficult experience has helped you become more compassionate, faithful, understanding, or prepared to help someone else?
What part of your story do you still need to place in the Savior’s hands?
Today’s Challenge
Choose an experience that you feel ready to reflect upon and complete these sentences in your journal:
This experience has been difficult because…
Through it, I may be learning…
Because of what I now understand, I can help someone by…
Then look for one small way to use what you have learned to encourage, listen to, or strengthen another person.
Christ-Centered Thought
The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ appeared to be the darkest and most unjust moment in history. Yet through His suffering, death, and Resurrection, the Savior overcame sin, sorrow, and death for every person who has ever lived.
Jesus Christ is the ultimate evidence that evil and pain do not get the final word.
As you place your story in His hands, He can bring healing, purpose, growth, and eventual joy from experiences that once seemed only painful.
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