I’ve given you an example that you should follow.
John 13:15
Defeat isn’t always the end, and in fact a lot of times it’s the very beginning of life. After all, Jesus kicked the power of sin by the defeat of his own body. His victory came not through glory but through pure humiliation and apparent defeat. Even if the path you are on seems hostile and bent on your destruction, that doesn’t mean it’s the end for you. The hard parts of your life might just be the foundation for your victory. The God Girl never has to fear humiliation or failure because she is sure that God doesn’t just use the pretty things of life to bring glory but uses the ugly things as well. He didn’t send his Son to earth to wear a crown. He sent Jesus to walk the earth without a place to call home, with nothing but the clothes he wore, and with a mission that would bring all the shame of the world onto his back. And the worst possible situation became your salvation.
While the disciples looked on from a distance, their human eyes saw the end of everything they had imagined about their Jesus. They questioned what they had seen for the past three years. They wondered how they could have been so wrong. That’s because they only saw with earthly eyes and didn’t see the glory that would come from the suffering of their Savior in the next three days. But at the end of those three days their eyes were opened, and suddenly they found not only the strength to believe but also the strength to suffer no matter how horrific the pain because they could see beyond their present pain and into a far greater and more significant future.
Don’t let your pain be your destruction, but make it your salvation. Rise from the ashes in victory. Hold tight to the truth you know about Jesus. And never let go of the cross.