Spiritual Growth During Hard Times: Finding Hope in God’s Pruning Season
Can I tell you something I wish someone would have spoken over me a long time ago? Real spiritual growth during hard times is not just a church phrase. It is as real as your next breath. We talk a lot about faith when things go smoothly. But what about when nothing makes sense, when everything feels like it’s getting taken away piece by piece? That’s exactly where spiritual growth during hard times meets real life. And friend, it's where God does some of His deepest work.
Why Spiritual Growth During Hard Times Often Feels Like Loss
I remember sitting at my kitchen table, holding a cup of coffee that had gone cold because I was too distracted to even take a sip. Maybe you know this space. You start to question everything. Did I make a mistake? Why would God let this happen? Where is the good in any of this, Doubt as a Christian?
We hear the word “pruning” and think of gardening, but nobody tells you it feels a whole lot more like loss than a neat trim. In our recent podcast episode, we opened up about what happens when God asks us to let go of what feels secure. I had to walk away from the job that paid the bills and brought comfort, a loss many readers can relate to, as described in Finding faith after loss. And let me tell you, obedience didn’t feel like a celebration. It felt a lot like emptiness, fear, and wondering if I’d missed my shot at stability. But spiritual growth during hard times doesn’t mean it looks good; it reflects biblical lessons on suffering. It means God isn’t afraid of your mess. He meets you there, not after you’ve cleaned up.
God's Timing and Letting Go
Here's the thing, sometimes the very comfort we clutch is the thing that keeps us from stepping into what we’re actually called to do, and this is exactly where finding God in hard times matters. God doesn’t prune because He’s angry. He prunes because He sees what’s underneath all the stuff we’re hiding behind. And yes, growth through hardship almost always shows up disguised as discomfort. The question in those moments isn’t "Why me?" It's "What do you want to show me here, Lord?"
What God Builds in Us When Life Feels Unbearable
You want the truth? Spiritual growth during hard times will strip away things you thought you couldn’t live without—financial security, control, old dreams, even good things. I had to let go of what looked responsible and step into a season that looked like lack. There were weeks when money was short, and all I had was honesty with God. Anger came up, disappointment, questions I kept asking on repeat. He wasn't surprised by any of it.
I learned in that season that God isn’t asking for fake smiles. He wants the real story. My story. Your story. He can handle your doubts and your “what now?” I discovered I was still anchored in things I thought I’d surrendered. And there’s no shame in admitting it. All that wrestling? It was proof spiritual growth during hard times is not a straight line up.
Community Makes the Difference
I can’t count the times I thought I needed to do it alone. But can I just say, community is sometimes the difference between hope and giving up? Not everyone will understand the pruning season, and that’s okay. The people who speak life and truth when your faith feels thin—they are gifts. Don’t shut them out. Invite them in, even when you feel like a mess.
Pruning Isn’t Punishment: It’s Preparation for Real Fruit
You see, God’s pruning is never just about what’s being taken. More often, it’s about making space for new growth. In John 15, Jesus tells us, "He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit." (CSB) Pruning hurts, but it’s never the end of the story. Spiritual growth during hard times is proof God is not done writing yours.
Sometimes, surrender feels like defeat. But that’s rarely what’s really happening. In the podcast, Amanda and I talked openly about what it means to let go of what you thought your life would look like. And what shows up on the other side isn’t always recognition, platform, or a sudden breakthrough. It’s deeper trust. It’s peace that doesn’t make sense. It’s the quiet confidence that God sees what you’ve given up and He honors it—even when the world can’t see it yet.
Signs You’re in a Pruning Season
- Things that once felt safe are being taken away
- You feel called to surrender something big, but the future is unclear
- You’re wrestling with God more honestly than ever
- There’s a quiet nudge that there’s more, even if you can’t see it
Practical Ways to Grow Spiritually During Hard Times
Let me offer a few things that helped me keep moving when quitting seemed easiest
1. Name What You’re Losing
Call it what it is. For me, it was security, routine, and even a little pride. Naming the loss helps you hand it over to God honestly. You can’t surrender what you won’t admit is hard to release. That’s foundational for spiritual growth during hard times.
2. Invite God Into Your Real Feelings
I used to think I had to show up strong for God. He isn’t waiting for my best behavior. He wants my raw, my real, and even my “I don’t like this.” Talk to Him like you would a close friend. It’s okay to be honest about anger and grief along the way.
3. Speak Truth Over Your Life
In those nights when fear about the future got loud, Psalm 23 became my anchor. “Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me.” (CSB) I would whisper that to myself until my mind could settle. Even familiar verses can become new lifelines when you need spiritual growth during hard times.
4. Protect Your Heart From Unhelpful Voices
Set boundaries with advice that isn’t from the Lord. Not everyone can speak into your season. Be careful with what you let in—social media, opinions, even well-meaning friends. Sometimes you need less noise. Sometimes God meets you best in the quiet.
5. Stay Rooted in Community and Truth
This is not the time to hide. Your honest, vulnerable community matters. When you’re tempted to isolate, remember that others have walked through similar pruning. Their presence can be the reminder that you are not alone, even in spiritual growth during hard times.
Encouragement for Seasons of Discomfort and Waiting
How many of us have asked, “God, why does this have to be the hard way?” Sometimes what you lose isn’t even bad—it just can’t go with you where God is taking you. Pruning is not a punishment. And nothing surrendered to God is wasted. Not your tears, not your doubts, not even the seasons that look like silence. God is preparing a harvest of joy and purpose—but there’s something in you He loves too much to leave tangled up in comfort.
You may feel like you’re stuck, but you’re actually being made ready. In our episode, we talked about how God sometimes puts dreams on pause, not because He forgot, but because He wants to build the kind of foundation that will last. Spiritual growth during hard times is not glamorous. Most days, it’s just getting up, reminding yourself that God is trustworthy, and putting one foot in front of the other.
Scripture for the Pruning Season
- Psalm 23:4 (CSB) - "Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me."
- John 15:2 (CSB) - "He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit."
Permission to Grow, Permission to Be Real
Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is be honest—about your disappointments, your expectations, and your mess. God isn’t scared by any of it. He wants to walk with you through this season, not only meet you on the other side. There is nothing about your pruning season that disqualifies you from His goodness. In fact, it’s proof that you are loved, tended to, and worth the effort it takes to grow.
Keep showing up. Keep trusting, even with shaky steps. Your spiritual growth during hard times will become the testimony that roots others in hope. Your story matters. Your faith, even when small and cracked around the edges, makes a difference. Let’s model this for our families, our communities, and those watching who need to know someone survived the pruning and found something beautiful on the other side.
If this is the season you're in, listen to the full podcast episode of "Perspectives Into Practice" for more encouragement. Invite a friend in. God is faithful in every pruning season. He is not done with you.
