In life, we often feel tested, disappointed, stretched, confused, and broken. Yet, Scripture reminds us that trials are not meaningless but refining us. Job confidently said in Job 23:10, “When He has tried you, you will come forth as pure gold” and John declared, “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world”. Any test or trial we are facing is God-approved, and through it, He is at work. God does not waste our brokenness; instead, He uses it to bring about His glory for our ultimate good. (“But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:10) (“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4)

Joseph’s life in the Old Testament is a prime example of God using brokenness for His greater purpose. Betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and imprisoned, Joseph later declared, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” (Genesis 50:20). Through his brokenness, Joseph was positioned to fulfill God’s plan, and his story is a testament to God’s ability to work through even the most painful and disappointing circumstances for God’s glory and our good.

Finally, when we look in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul experienced numerous trials, including imprisonment and physical affliction. Yet, God told him in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Paul’s brokenness was not a sign of God’s abandonment but rather an opportunity for God’s power to be revealed in him. In Paul’s weakness, he was able to experience God’s strength in a profound, miraculous way, and through his suffering, the gospel was spread, and God was glorified.

Through the examples of Joseph and Paul, we see that God indeed uses brokenness to fulfill His purpose. In our own trials, God takes our brokenness and shapes it for a greater good. Just as He used Joseph’s betrayal, Paul’s weakness, Monica’s shame, and your whatever, He is working through our struggles to refine us. In the end, we too will emerge stronger, like pure gold, as a testimony of God’s ability to bring beauty from brokenness.