Some things change you forever.
Loss, heartbreak, unexpected suffering—these are the moments that shake the very foundation of who we are. If you've ever experienced deep grief or trauma, you know the weight of it. The way it alters your reality, shifts your perspective, and makes the world feel unfamiliar.
For a long time, psychology has primarily focused on the damage of trauma—the way it fractures identity, rewires the brain, and leaves people struggling to cope. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been well studied, and rightfully so. But what isn’t talked about as often is something equally true, equally powerful:
Most people don’t just survive trauma—they grow from it.
What Is Post-Traumatic Growth?
There’s a concept in psychology called Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG)—the idea that through suffering, something stronger, deeper, and even more beautiful can emerge.
PTG doesn’t mean the pain disappears. It doesn’t erase grief or minimize hardship. But it does show us that through struggle, people often experience:
- A greater appreciation for life
- A deeper sense of purpose
- Stronger, more meaningful relationships
- Increased resilience
- A redefined sense of identity
This concept is relatively new in the field of psychology, but it’s not new to God.
Scripture Has Always Told This Story
God has been in the business of redemption from the beginning. We see it over and over again in Scripture:
- Joseph was betrayed, falsely accused, and imprisoned—yet God used his suffering to position him for greater purpose (Genesis 50:20).
- Job lost everything—his family, his wealth, his health—but in the end, God restored him and revealed His greater plan (Job 42:10).
- Paul suffered beatings, imprisonment, and persecution, yet he wrote, "We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope." (Romans 5:3-4).
God doesn’t waste suffering. He doesn’t abandon us to our wounds. Instead, He transforms them into something that testifies to His glory.
You Are Not Stuck
This is important to remember:
If something terrible has happened to you—whether it was your own doing or the result of someone else’s actions—you do not have to stay stuck there.
It is not the end of your story.
You can hold grief in one hand and hope in the other. You can feel the weight of loss and still trust that God is doing something beyond what you can see.
The Paradox of Redemption
Suffering is the entry fee to a meaningful life.
We don’t like to think about suffering as necessary. If given the choice, we’d avoid it entirely. But the reality is, suffering is unavoidable in this life. The good news?
God, in His paradoxical way of working, takes what was meant for evil and transforms it into something far more beautiful than it could have been if it had never been broken in the first place.
We don’t celebrate loss. We would give anything to have our son back. But what we can hold onto is this:
God redeems. He restores. He brings beauty from ashes, joy from mourning, and strength from weakness. (Isaiah 61:3)
And if we allow Him, He can take even the most shattered places of our hearts and weave them into a story far greater than we ever could have written for ourselves.
You Were Made to Flourish
Resilience isn’t about pretending the pain isn’t there. It’s about letting God shape you through it. The choices we make in hardship—the thoughts we dwell on, the truths we cling to, the way we root ourselves in faith—are what allow us to flourish instead of wither.
If you’re in a season of brokenness, I want you to know this:
You are being shaped. Strengthened. Rooted. Even in ways you can’t yet see.
And one day, when you need it most, you’ll find that the very pain you thought would destroy you has, by God’s grace, made you into something resilient, steadfast, and strong.
Because this is who He is. He does not leave things broken. He makes all things new.
And that includes you.
Have you ever looked back on something painful and realized it changed you in a positive way you didn’t expect? I’d love to hear how you’ve seen growth in your own life.
2 Comments
Feb 24, 2025, 2:01:09 PM
Dawn Sparks - Thank you for being here!
Feb 24, 2025, 1:33:28 PM
Heather - Thanks ! Grateful for the Post traumatic growth article. I know I signed up for this . I’m glad the Lord has stood by me and dried my tears .