A bout of sickness recently left me in bed, unable to keep up with the tasks and problems swirling in my mind. I found myself not only physically unwell, but also emotionally struggling. It’s easy to become hopeless in those moments. The pain seemed meaningless, especially considering how it kept me from enjoying my family and keeping up with all the things I needed to do.

But in my overwhelming circumstances, I was encouraged by Beth Claes’s words in her recent article, “4 Comforts for Anxious Christians.” She writes, “My hope isn’t in the absence of stress, fear, or despair; rather, my hope is in the future glory awaiting me through Christ.” My pain isn’t meaningless, and neither is yours. In fact, it’s producing something far greater than we can imagine. 

In some of the darkest moments of my life, I’ve found great comfort in the hope of 2 Corinthians 4:16–17: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”

In the hard and the overwhelming, we can call our hearts and minds to remember the hope of eternity—not only that suffering will end, but that we will see the glorious fruit of it all. So when you’re anxious, overwhelmed, or suffering, return to this truth—something good is coming from all the pain.