A Purpose in Suffering

2 Corinthians 1 Praise to the God of All Comfort

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If 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. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Today we start Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth.  He had visited them in between his first and second letter and meant to visit them again.  Paul was somewhat misunderstood by the Corinthian church more than any of the other churches he planted.  The Easton Bible Dictionary gives this statement as a summary of Paul's writing in 2 Corinthians,

"This epistle, it has been well said, shows the individuality of the apostle more than any other. "Human weakness, spiritual strength, the deepest tenderness of affection, wounded feeling, sternness, irony, rebuke, impassioned self-vindication, humility, a just self-respect, zeal for the welfare of the weak and suffering, as well as for the progress of the church of Christ and for the spiritual advancement of its members, are all displayed in turn in the course of his appeal." —Lias, Second Corinthians.

In the passage again Paul recounts the various afflictions he has undergone, then summarizes how God comforts us in our all of our affliction.  God is present in all of our troubles.  We are never alone though we might feel alone.  He has given us His Spirit as a deposit of our future inheritance. And the comfort we receive in Christ is the same comfort in which we can comfort others.  Though as Christians we are bound to suffer, not only does it draw us closer to Christ the source of our comfort, but we also can be used to share the same comfort with others.  We all suffer in different ways.  Whether it be physically, emotionally or spiritually; suffering is difficult and we sometimes wonder if God has forsaken us.  The evil one would sure like us to believe that lie.  

If you are suffering right now reach out to Christ who is near you and lives in you through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Pray to God and reach out to others to have them pray for you.  An isolated Christian is a vulnerable Christian.  This is why God calls us to be part of the body of Christ.  In the body we support each other and bear each other's burden.  Being in a small group helps provide a support network, especially if you are in a bigger church.  One thing is for certain you will need the people in the group for comfort, and at some point they will need you.  This is how God can turn suffering in your life into something that builds up the body of Christ.