Part 7- When Grace Hurts Receiving What You Didn’t Ask For

We love to talk about grace when it feels good.

• Grace that forgives.
• Grace that restores.
• Grace that blesses.

But what about grace that hurts?

The truth is, some of God’s most marvelous grace comes through pain we never would have chosen. Grace doesn’t always look like healing or relief. Sometimes, it looks like endurance. Sometimes, it looks like strength to keep going when life feels overwhelming.

Paul’s Thorn: Grace in Weakness
The Apostle Paul knew this kind of grace.

2 Corinthians 12:7–9 (LSB) records his testimony:

“Therefore, in order to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’”

Paul begged God to take the pain away. God said, “No… but I will give you grace instead.” Grace doesn’t always remove the thorn. Sometimes, it gives you the strength to carry it.

Grace in Suffering
We often think suffering means God is far away, but sometimes suffering is where we find His grace most clearly.

• Grace holds you when your heart is breaking.
• Grace sustains you when your body is failing.
• Grace whispers hope when life feels dark.

First Peter 5:10 (LSB) promises, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, strengthen, confirm, and ground you.”

Grace does not always rescue you from suffering, but it will walk you through it.

Unwanted Grace Is Still Grace
There are times in life when we receive grace we didn’t ask for—discipline, trials, or delays that feel unbearable.

Hebrews 12:11 (LSB) says, “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

Painful grace is often preparing you for something greater: deeper faith, stronger character, and a testimony that will encourage others.

Clinging to Grace in Hard Seasons
So how do we hold on when grace hurts? Pray honestly. Tell God your pain. He can handle your tears and questions. Remember His promises. Grace always carries hope beyond what you see.

• Lean on community. God often delivers grace through the encouragement of His people.
• Trust the bigger story. Painful grace is never wasted; it is always working for your eternal good.

Grace that hurts is still grace. It’s the evidence that God is doing something deep, even in the places you never would have chosen to go.

Next Up: Part 8 – “Grace for Others.”
If you’ve truly received grace—even the painful kind—you’re called to extend it. In the next blog, we’ll explore how grace moves beyond you to the people around you.

In Love,

Pastor Jody