It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.

The saying expresses a classic theme in Christian spirituality: profound suffering can be a means of spiritual formation. “Hurt” functions less as divine cruelty than as the painful stripping away of self-reliance, pride, and superficial faith, making room for humility and deeper dependence on God. In this view, “blessing” is not primarily comfort or success but a transformed character—greater holiness, compassion, and maturity—often forged through trials. The quote also reflects a pastoral realism common in Tozer’s preaching: he warns against equating God’s favor with ease, and he frames hardship as potentially purposeful within a providential, sanctifying narrative.