How to Get Through What You’re Going Through | Part 8 | Never Waste Your Pain | Chris Voigt

Never Waste Your Pain
How to Get Through What You're Going Through
October 31, 2021

Kintsugi is the centuries-old Japanese art of fixing broken pottery.

The Kintsugi technique uses a special lacquer made from tree sap, dusted with powdered gold, silver, or platinum to mend the pieces once broken. Upon completion, beautiful seams of gold glint in the conspicuous cracks of ceramic bowls, cups, plates, or vases, giving a one-of-a-kind appearance to each repaired piece.

This unique method celebrates each piece’s particular history by emphasizing its fractures and breaks rather than hiding or disguising them. In fact, Kintsugi often makes the repaired piece even more beautiful than the original, revitalizing it with a new look and giving it a second life. The practice of Kintsugi is connected to a Japanese philosophy which calls for seeing beauty in the flawed or imperfect. It also reflects the Japanese feelings of regret when something is wasted, as well as the acceptance of change.

Over the past couple of months, we’ve been talking about how to get through whatever it is that you’re going through. We’ve all experienced loss, pain, and grief. None of us get a pass to a pain-free life. But in our American culture, we tend to hide the broken pieces of our lives, rather than allowing them to be revealed.

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’" All things…the hard, the broken, the lost, all of it. God wastes nothing when we give Him the pieces.

This Sunday, as we wrap up this series, we’ll be talking about what it means to not waste your pain.

What could it look like in your life, if you put all of your broken pieces into the hands of our God who wastes absolutely nothing? Let’s find out together.