Difficult experiences can reveal something within us that God wants to transform and turn into a blessing for others. By Amy Pershin

Reading time: 5 minutes

There is a special power in the image of the winepress.

The Bible speaks of God as the great winemaker, and in one way or another, our journey also takes us through experiences that put us under pressure. We feel constrained, challenged, and sometimes even broken. Yet being broken is not the ultimate goal. In the midst of such experiences, something can come to light that was previously hidden deep within us.

A grape is pressed so that its juice can flow. Similarly, the experiences that life brings—and that God, in His wisdom, allows—can reveal something within us. They can stretch us, make us more humble, and lead us to a point where we entrust ourselves to Him anew.

This involves many things that often stand in the way of our true nature: pride, self-centeredness, and trust in our own strength. Under the pressure of life, what is hidden within us sometimes comes to light. And it is precisely there that God can meet us in Jesus and allow His nature to take shape more and more within us.

Our great Winemaker knows us completely. He knows what lies hidden within us. And He also knows how much we can bear.

God is not the author of everything that is difficult for us. Much in life happens without our having chosen it and without our recognizing its meaning. Yet even in such experiences, God is present. He can guide us through them, carry us, and help something precious grow out of what befalls us.

We can learn to entrust ourselves to Him—even when we don’t understand the path. His hands remain loving, even when life is painful.

And what might come to light within us as a result?

Gentleness. Humility. Patience. Compassion. Warmth. Love. A character that becomes more like Christ’s.

Sometimes we wonder why God allows difficult experiences in our lives. Why this pressure? Why these times when everything seems too much?

Perhaps part of the answer lies in the fact that we will encounter people whose hearts can be touched by the very compassion we ourselves have come to know on a difficult journey. There are wounded people who need someone who won’t judge them, because that person has experienced firsthand what it’s like to be wounded.

Through difficult experiences, we become a greater blessing to others.

The suffering that once seemed meaningless to us can become a means by which God opens our hearts to others. The tears we ourselves have shed can give us a deeper understanding of another’s tears. Times when we were misunderstood can make us more patient with people who are misunderstood themselves. And the moments when we have fallen can help us reach out a hand to someone else instead of judging them.

The wine that flows from the winepress does not remain in the grape. It is meant to flow on.

It is the same with the character of Jesus. What God allows to grow within us is not meant only for ourselves. It can benefit others through us.

After a time in the winepress, something of Jesus’ gentleness may become visible on our faces. Others may perceive it in our voice and experience it in the way we treat them. Where someone expects irritability, they may encounter patience. Where harshness would be expected, gentleness. Where judgment is feared, compassion. Where pride is suspected, humility.

The pressure brings to light what is within us—and it is precisely in this that Jesus can transform what is revealed.

Ultimately, therefore, the winepress does not speak of destruction. It speaks of surrender.

It speaks of making room for God to transform everything in our lives that prevents the free unfolding of Jesus’ character.

Jesus himself went through the deepest winepress for us. In Gethsemane, he bore the terrible burden of our sin. He was broken for us. And from his suffering came the greatest gift the world has ever received: redemption.

If we remain in him, his life can flow through us to others.

So when life’s pressures come, a different question can arise.

Not: “Why am I being broken?”
But: “Lord, what do you want to bring forth from me?”

The grape does not understand the winepress. It knows only the pressure. But the winemaker knows what he is doing. He knows the hidden sweetness that lies within the grape. And when we entrust ourselves to his hands, even what is broken does not remain without meaning. Something precious can come from it. And what comes from it is not meant only for us. It can become a blessing for others. It can point to Jesus.

And perhaps when people encounter us, they will see something they themselves deeply long for: the gentleness, humility, compassion, and love with which Jesus loves us.

© Sunshine7d, August 15, 2026