When God's Grace Meets You in the Darkest Places

Pastor Rick Warren: Through God's Grace, Pain Can Have a Purpose 

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BY KATHERINE WEBER

Although Christians may find their pain to be insufferable, they must remember that all pain has a purpose through God's grace, Pastor Rick Warren explains in his Daily Hope message this week.

...Warren adds that sometimes, God leaves the pain there for a purpose so we may learn something important.

"[God] can teach us much more through pain than through comfort," the megachurch pastor emphasizes.

While many Christians try to deal with difficult situations on their own, all they need to do is humble themselves and ask God for his grace. Ultimately, going through tough times will be much easier with God's help, Warren writes.

"When God's grace meets you in the deepest, darkest places of your life, you realize that nothing — no problem, no crisis, no hurt — can devastate your life. You know that you can handle anything with God's help," the megachurch pastor says.

Not only does God's grace help Christians deal with pain, it also helps them deal with guilt, Warren writes in a March 14 post, saying that the feeling of guilt is a basic, natural human emotion that is brought on by sin.

Christians, however, have no reason to feel guilty, as Jesus already absolved them from such feelings when He died on the cross.

"This is the most basic truth of Christianity: Jesus Christ has already paid for your sins. You only need to accept it. Because Jesus died for us, we're free from condemnation, worry, and death," Warren continues. "Even if there were no eternity, it would be worth it to become a follower of Jesus in order to escape the guilt."

One of the most important things to remember about God's grace is it's for everyone, Warren noted in a message last week, saying that God's love "doesn't play favorites."

"Regardless of your status, your background, and the sins you have committed, God loves you," the megachurch pastor says.

"When the Bible says that God's grace is available to all, it gives no preconditions. It means God's grace is available to you whether you're a frequent church attender, a spiritual novice, rich, poor, tall, short, or somewhere in between. God's grace is available to you by faith."