The following passage from 2 Corinthians 1 brought to light (for me) a potential new way to think about suffering:
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
4who
comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any
trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
6If
we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are
comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient
endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.
7And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
8We
do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we
suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far
beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.
9Indeed,
in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we
might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
10He
has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On
him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,
11as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on oura behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
Our experiences aren't for us alone. What God has done in our lives should be shared with others to help them grow and mature. We aren't alone in the world. The stuff we've gone through, good and bad, can connect us with others. The comfort that God has given in all circumstances can be a powerful tool in ministering to others as we demonstrate that through God, we can endure all things.
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