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Mar 11, 2025 06:00am

The Purpose in Your Story

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“What experiences have led you to this decision?”

This was my favorite question to ask students during their practice interviews for medical, dental, or nursing school. I worked with tons of pre-professional students to help them prepare to apply for a medical program to further their education.

Their resume listed all their qualifications, from outstanding GPAs to high test scores to positions with clubs and organizations. But this question showed their heart. It dug into the meaning and purpose behind their decisions. It’s what I knew would continue to drive them even when school was tough and they wanted to quit. Or when a loss or setback in their job would be heavy and feel unbearable, these experiences would fuel them to press on.

And I was never disappointed.

These students would recount events in their lives that, at the time, felt devastating. The death of a sibling due to an illness or condition, the struggle for understanding and proper care for their ailing parent, or the horrible conditions and lack of health care they witnessed in other countries as they served in a volunteer clinic.

These were the moments that had shaped their lives. Because even the bad things in this life can be used for good.

They can have a purpose.

Romans 8:28

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

Do you ever wonder why bad things happen? Or think, what good could possibly come from this? There are certainly times when I look at a horrible situation and wonder about these things myself. And while I don’t understand it all, in fact, I don’t think any of us will this side of heaven, I hold on to this promise in Romans.

God may not cause all things to happen, but He will use it to bring about good.

I know He is God. He sees more than I do, hears more than I do, and knows more than I do. I trust that He sees the big picture even in the midst of the chaos.

Does it mean that I don’t worry? Does it mean I’m not anxious or don’t question things? No. It just means that in the end, I choose to believe that our gracious and loving God has a good plan and He is faithful and just. I believe that He will use whatever happens to bring about something good. And it may not be for me but for someone else.

I believe He has used the events that happened in my life to shape who I am today. Morning after morning, you read personal stories of my past. Some are harder to share than others. Woven into every account is the beautiful story of redemption and the grace of God. And if the story of my pain or suffering can be used to lead someone to know Christ…

Let Jesus be the author.

Trust in the Lord today. He has good plans. He will use all things for good for those who love Him.

Part of my story is learning to surrender to Christ and needing someone to show me the way. I needed someone to show me who Jesus is and walk me through what it means to follow Him. God has allowed me to be a part of this incredible opportunity to make disciples. At Lifeword, we have created a digital discipleship tool that will walk you through some basic introductions to discipleship and show you how to follow the Lord. It’s video-based, easy to understand and navigate, and it’s at no cost to you! How amazing is that? Go to follow.lifeword.org to begin.