God Never Wastes An Experience - How God Can Use Our Suffering!

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2 Corithians 2:3-7

God Offers Comfort to All

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

This is a very significant passage for us to dwell on in the New Testament. Paul teaches on how God comforts us in our suffering, so that we can comfort others when they are suffering. First, we know that the source of all comfort is God. The Holy Spirit is also called our "comforter". The Holy Spirit lives in us and comes alongside of us to encourage us and remind us of God's promises. The Holy Spirit can give us peace and even joy in suffering, as we realize we are suffering for Jesus' sake. 

One of the hardest reasons we face reconciling suffering with a loving God, is we wonder why God would let us go through suffering. We have already seen how God doesn't leave us alone in our suffering, but has given us the gift of His Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit which produces fruit in us irrespective of circumstances. 

Another key aspect of finding purpose in suffering is being able to comfort others when they are going through suffering with the same comfort we have received in Christ. I can't tell you how many times I have suffered through something specific, and how God used that specific experience in my life to comfort others. Here are some examples:

1. We have addiction in my family. I struggled with it too so now I can relate to anyone who is in the recovery program, or needs to be in a recovery program. I.e. A.A.

2. I experienced "grand mal" seizures, so I can relate to anyone who has had brain and/or cognitive and memory issues. It helps me also to relate to people and/or families with loved ones with Alzheimer's, Dementia, and Parkinson's etc... 

3. My mom currently has dementia, so that helps me to relate to other families that are going through this with a spouse or loved one. 

These are a few examples and there are more. One of my favorite sayings, which comes from the S.H.A.P.E. class created by Rick Warren of Saddleback church is, "God never wastes an experience".  

This is also the basic idea between the oft quoted Romans 8:28 which says, "All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose."  

Finally, we know that when we get to heaven, we will receive a crown for our paitently enduring in suffering, especially the suffering we endured for the sake of Jesus' name. Although suffering is extremely hard, and we should not wish it on anyone including ourselves, God can use it for His glory.  Suffering also draws us closer to God through Christ. Some of the hardest times in our lives were we felt the closest to God!


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