Why Does Suffering Exist? // Suffering Fuels Your Ministry

As we’ve touched on over the last few weeks, God has a way of using your suffering for good. Genesis 50 declares, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

God can turn any situation into a purpose that builds His kingdom! Someone may intend to hurt a people group, or oppress others, or wage war against a country and we personally ask how God could allow such suffering to happen. However, even though a person may want to cause harm towards another, God will use it for good. In this verse, in particular, God uses that person's hurt to save others.

A large part of what I use in my ministry is my own testimony of how God moved in my life. Although the enemy intended to use my suffering to stop my purpose, God has instead used it to reach others. The same can be true for you!

Perhaps your own experience with a stronghold will be used to birth a ministry to help others working through the same issue. Or maybe God will use your testimony to reach an unbeliever going through similar circumstances, and because they see how God restored you, they will want the same. I don’t know how God will use your suffering, but He will. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 reminds us of this truth; that God comforts us so that we might comfort others.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

How can you take the trials of your life and use them for Kingdom purpose? Who can you minister to from a place of experience? Maybe you’re in the middle of suffering as you read this and hope one day to use it for this very purpose. Don’t wait! Let your faith in God in a season of suffering radiate to others the goodness of the Father!