Dr. Floyd Godfrey
We live in a world that often views pain as something to avoid at all costs. Suffering, loss, betrayal, and trauma are things we instinctively try to escape. Yet throughout Scripture and Christian experience, we see a profound truth emerge: God does not waste pain. He uses our wounds to forge strength, build purpose, and bring blessing to others.
Pastor Jentezen Franklin recently spoke on this theme with great clarity and conviction: “God uses our wounds. We want to avoid the hurt, but it’s not until you’ve been wounded that you have what is needed. There is nothing more powerful than someone who has been wounded” (Franklin, 2025). This statement may be difficult to embrace when we're in the midst of hurt, but it reflects a pattern that echoes through both Scripture and personal testimony.
Biblical Examples of Wounded People with Purpose
The Bible is filled with people who were deeply wounded yet greatly used by God. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, falsely accused, and imprisoned before rising to a position of influence in Egypt. His wounds prepared him to save many lives during a famine. He later told his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20, ESV).
David, a man after God’s own heart, was hunted, rejected, and broken before becoming king. Paul was beaten, imprisoned, and persecuted, yet he authored much of the New Testament. Even Jesus Himself was “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). His wounds, both literal and spiritual, became the very source of our healing and redemption.
Jentezen Franklin continues: “It’s not until you are broken God can use you.” The breaking is not about humiliation; it's about transformation. In our brokenness, pride is stripped away, dependence on God is formed, and empathy is born. When we try to minister or lead from a place of self-sufficiency, we often lack the depth needed to truly connect with others. But when we’ve been broken and healed by God, we carry something far more powerful. We deelop a compassion that is authentic and hope that is tested.
Turning Pain Into Purpose
God not only heals our wounds but also transforms them into tools for ministry. When someone has walked through grief, they are uniquely equipped to comfort others in grief. Those who have faced addiction and found freedom can guide others toward deliverance. A parent who has walked through a child’s rebellion can offer wisdom and comfort to other struggling parents.
Franklin said it plainly: “If God has allowed you to be hurt deeply, he will use you deeply to accomplish his purposes” (Franklin, 2025). This is a hard truth, but a hopeful one. It means that no suffering is wasted. Every tear can become a river of blessing when surrendered to the hands of God.
The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV), “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ... who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” This verse captures the heartbeat of God’s plan to turn your pain into purpose.
A Word to Pastors and Parents
If you are a pastor, consider how your own wounds, past and present, can be used to shepherd your flock with greater compassion and authenticity. Transparency about your journey can be the very thing that unlocks healing in someone else.
If you are a parent, do not hide your struggles or past wounds from your children. When shared appropriately, your stories of God’s faithfulness in hard times can become the foundation for your children’s faith. Your brokenness can be the testimony that teaches them resilience and trust in God.
Our world does not need perfect people; it needs healed people. People who have walked through fire and found God faithful. People who can say, “I have been wounded, but I have also been healed, and now I have something to offer you.”
God uses our wounds. They are not signs of failure but markers of transformation. As Jentezen Franklin reminded us, your deepest hurt may become the very channel through which God brings His deepest blessing is not only to you, but to others.
Floyd Godfrey PhD is a Board Certified Christian Counselor and has facilitated groups within different churches and denominations over the past 30 years. He worked as a licensed clinician for 23 years and provided supervision and training for other counselors as they worked toward independent licensure. You can read more about Floyd Godfrey PhD at www.FloydGodfrey.com.
Reference
Franklin, J. (2025, September). God Uses Our Wounds. Plenary Forum. Nashville; Tennessee.
