In life, trouble is not a matter of if but when. For believers, hardship can often feel confusing or even discouraging. Yet Scripture makes it clear that our suffering is not meaningless. In 2 Corinthians 1, Paul offers a powerful reminder that there is divine purpose woven into the trials we face. He speaks not only as a teacher, but as someone who has lived through deep distress, pressed beyond measure, despairing of life itself (v.8). His words to the Corinthian church offer four key reasons God may allow believers to walk through difficulty.
1. The reason believers face difficulty is so that they can encourage others who are going through difficulty (verse 4-5)
One of the most beautiful truths Paul reveals is that the comfort we receive from God during trials is not meant to end with us. In verse 4, Paul writes that God “comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble.” This is not just about personal peace. it’s about spiritual ministry. When we endure suffering and find comfort in Christ, that same comfort can then be extended to others who are hurting. As one commentator said, “God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters.” The very pain we go through can make us instruments of healing for others. But we must not skip the middle step, going first to the God of all comfort. Without that, we have nothing to give.
2. The reason believers face difficulty is so that they can have opportunities for evangelism (verse 6a)
Paul also points to another reason for affliction: it opens doors for the gospel. He says in verse 6 that his suffering was “for your consolation and salvation.” His imprisonment and hardship became platforms for evangelism, leading to people in cities like Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth hearing the good news. When believers endure trials with grace and hope, the watching world takes notice. Even what feels like a minor inconvenience can be used by God to lead to divine appointments. Our difficulty may be the very thing God uses to position us for gospel impact.
3. The reason believers face difficulty is so that it can produce in others a spirit of endurance (verse 6b)
Not only do our sufferings comfort and point others to salvation, they also model endurance. Paul notes that the Corinthians’ endurance of the same sufferings is “effectual.” When fellow believers see us walking through valleys with steady faith, it strengthens their own resolve. It gives them courage to press on. Endurance is contagious. And sometimes God lets us face hard seasons so our perseverance will give someone else the strength to keep going.
4. The reason believers face difficulty is so that God can expel any self-confidence (verse 9)
Finally, Paul makes a sobering observation in verse 9: “We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.” One of the most painful yet purifying purposes of suffering is to destroy our self-confidence. Trials strip us of the illusion that we are in control. They force us to cling to God in dependence and faith. Paul had to come to the end of himself to learn to trust in the God who raises the dead. So must we. Difficulty reminds us that our strength is not enough—but God’s strength is.
Believers, whatever you are facing today be it inconvenience, tragedy, or lingering hardship. remember that God is working in it. First, run to Him for comfort. Don’t skip that step. Then, ask Him how He might use your story to encourage someone else, share the gospel, inspire another believer, or strip you of self-reliance. Suffering is never wasted in the hands of God. He has purpose in every pain. And if we let Him, He will use our troubled hearts to bring truth, healing, and hope to others.
