Better or Bitter: What Will Pain Make of You?

• By candidasullivan
• January 20, 2026
• No Comments

We can allow our pain to make us better or bitter.

When I think about all the times I have endured deep pain, my mind wonders how I got through it, but my heart understands. God helps us overcome things we don’t believe we can withstand. He shows up in the valleys and sits with us through the pain.

In all reality, our hardships are a blessing. We can’t shine a light to God for others or show them the way if we stay in our comfort zone and only live for ourselves. It takes pressure to mold us into the person God created us to be.

I feel other people’s pain deeply and desire greatly to help them, partly because I’ve endured many of my hardships alone. So many times, it has just been God and me. He is my best friend. During the night, when everyone else was sleeping, God was there. He helped me breathe through the panic and the pain.

Even when we do the best we can, we can’t always give people what they need. Some people suffer in silence. Therefore, the best thing we can do is point them to the One who can always help. We do this with our words and our actions.

It is so vital for our words to align with our actions. I learned this the hard way. Someone once told me they didn’t like my God—because I was judging, saying hurtful things, and trying to change them to fit into my beliefs. So I stopped trying to change them and chose instead to love and accept them.

I am probably the most imperfect person you will ever meet. I fail and fall short continuously. But I am also learning to love and forgive. I do my best to admit when I am wrong and use it all to grow.

I don’t know everything. Sometimes I interpret the Word of God through my feelings and beliefs. Sometimes I make a great big mess of things. But I am so thankful that God loves me despite my faults and failures. When I gather my heartaches, insecurities, weaknesses, and failures and place them at His feet, He shows me how to overcome it all. God can take my deepest pain and turn it into blessing.