No Pain Is Wasted

Pain is never pleasant but for the Christian, it is never pointless.

Psalm 94 invites us into a gritty reality of life in a fallen world: persecution, trouble, and heavy-hearted sorrow. And yet, right in the middle of this psalm, we find a surprising declaration:

“Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law” (Psalm 94:12).

How can discipline, which often comes through suffering, be a blessing? Can persecution, days of trouble, and burdens of heart all be expressions of God’s love?

A thoughtful listener named Matthew raised this exact question. He wanted to know whether these painful experiences mentioned in Psalm 94 are all forms of God’s discipline and what that means for us today. It's a rich and vital question, especially for anyone enduring difficult seasons.

The answer is not only yes but more deeply encouraging than we often realize. Here’s how Scripture explains God’s loving discipline through pain.

Discipline Isn’t Destruction

Psalm 94 is honest about the reality of evil. The psalmist doesn’t minimize the cruelty of the wicked: “They crush your people, O Lord…they kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless” (vv. 5–6). The enemies of God intend harm, and they mock God as blind to it all (v. 7).

But what the wicked intend as destruction, God transforms into discipline. Their designs are evil, but His purpose is good just as in Joseph’s words to his brothers: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). The same event has two intentions: the enemy’s for harm, and God’s for our holiness.

So yes, even when trouble comes through evil human hands, God uses it for divine training.

1. Persecution as Discipline

The New Testament directly confirms this truth. In Hebrews 12, believers facing persecution are told to interpret their suffering as divine discipline:

“It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons” (Hebrews 12:7).

Even when persecution leads to the shedding of blood (v. 4), God calls it loving discipline. Why? Because it’s purposeful:

“He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness…” (vv. 10–11).

This is the heart of God’s discipline not punishment, but purification. Not retribution, but refinement. God uses the fires of persecution to produce holiness and peace in His people.

According to a 2021 Open Doors report, over 360 million Christians face high levels of persecution worldwide. Yet in the midst of it, many testify to a deepening of faith, character, and joy. These believers aren’t just victims of injustice; they’re students in the school of God’s sanctification.

2. Trouble as Training

But not all discipline comes from direct persecution. Scripture also shows that various trials any kind of hardship can be used by God to strengthen our faith.

James writes “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2–3).

Just like muscles grow under pressure, our faith becomes more resilient when tested. That’s not spiritual fluff it’s spiritual fact. God allows trials not to break us, but to build us.

And this kind of discipline produces long-term strength. Trials teach us perseverance, which, in turn, guards us from future temptations and deepens our dependence on God. They’re not random; they’re targeted exercises for the soul.

3. Heaviness of Heart as Holy Discipline

What about those invisible weights we carry the internal anguish, fear, or despair? Can even our emotional burdens be used by God?

Yes. The apostle Paul writes with gut-level honesty in 2 Corinthians 1:8–9 “We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself… But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”

Paul’s crushing sorrow wasn’t an accident. It had a purpose to kill self-reliance and awaken deeper trust in God. That’s discipline not in the punitive sense, but in the refining, training sense.

God orchestrates even our inward sorrow to teach us that He alone is our sustainer. The lesson is painful, but the fruit is joy.

Why It Matters

If you’re facing opposition, enduring hardship, or weighed down by sorrow, hear this truth. God is not far off. He is working in the pain.

Pain does not mean abandonment. In fact, it may be the strongest evidence of God’s fatherly care. Hebrews 12:6 reminds us, “The Lord disciplines the one he loves.”

This doesn’t mean we rejoice in suffering for its own sake. Rather, we rejoice in what God is producing through it: holiness, faith, steadfastness, peace, and joy. These are treasures of greater worth than gold (1 Peter 1:7).

Every Pinch of Pain Has Purpose

So, to Matthew’s question. Are persecution, days of trouble, and heavy-hearted sorrow all used by God to discipline us? Yes. They are not wasted. They are God’s tools tailored for each child, guided by His hand, and aimed at our everlasting good.

That means, when you walk through trials, you can say with confidence: This is not pointless. This is not punishment. This is purposeful. God is training me not in cruelty, but in kindness.

Even in our lowest moments, we are never alone. We are being lovingly shaped by the Father who disciplines every child He receives.

If this article encouraged you, share it with someone who needs hope in hardship, or subscribe to our newsletter for weekly encouragement grounded in God’s truth.