Former country music singer turned minister Granger Smith reminded followers of Christ that the trials and tribulations we endure throughout our lives all have meaning and serve to strengthen us. He stressed that “pain is not pointless,” but it instead prepares individuals for what’s ahead.
“Pain is not pointless when you’re a Christian. It’s not purposeless. It’s preparing you,” he said in a recent sermon. “Just as the blacksmith is purposefully swinging the hammer, shaping that metal with every strike, so does suffering mold our character, refining us, burning away those impurities and strengthening our resolve, forging us into vessels that God will use.”
Smith added that life’s struggles are ultimately “preparing us for greater purposes than we could ever imagine…not by diminishing us but by making us more than we were, more capable, more compassionate, more connected with God’s purpose.”
Emphasizing one of the core principles of the Gospel, Smith illustrated how low points that may seem like a big deal in this life “are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” in the next life when we unite with the creator of the universe.
He continued, “In every moment of suffering, in every hour of pain, the spirit of God is with you. It is preparing you for what’s to come, assuring you that the best is yet to be revealed and until it is, in the meantime, filling your heart with joy.”
Following the devastating loss of his young son River, Granger decided to leave the country music scene in order to pursue Christian ministry. During an interview with Fox News, the former country artist illustrated that the price of love is often grief.
“A lot of times the more you love someone, the more you’ll grieve them,” he said. “So if you’re someone that loves anyone a lot, then you’re going to grieve them a lot if you lose them. So the alternative to that is suppressing your love and not giving out love, and no one wants to do that. That’s ridiculous. So we love fiercely like that. We love with full intention. And then we need to be prepared for the consequences of that if we lose them, which is a heavy grief.”
Smith further illustrated that when grieving the loss of a loved one, it can be peaceful to know those negative emotions are the result of a deep and profound love toward the individual. He added, “There is a peace in knowing that that heavy grief is a result of the love, and that if you didn’t have the love, you wouldn’t grieve. And then you kind of carry that burden with you a little bit, and you go, ‘OK, I carry this burden because of the love I had.’ And that makes it special, and it’s easier to endure that way, knowing why you’re carrying that burden.” Watch an inspiring sermon from Granger Smith below:
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