The Ministry of Struggle

Praise be to... 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... If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort,

2 Corinthians 1:3-4, 6

We all go through times when we hurt, when we are weak and broken, when we weep far more than we laugh. Often in these times we want to hide ourselves away from the world. We're tempted to hide our pain, to deny our struggle, and to cover up our weakness. We see this in small gestures like when a person quickly brushes a tear away from their eye out of embarrassment. And we see it in bigger ways like when a person suffers alone, refusing to tell anyone about their struggle even years after it is done. 

We all have different reasons for doing this. You may think people don't want to hear about your problems or you may just be uncomfortable being vulnerable around others. You may even be ashamed of the behavior that led to your suffering. Whatever your reason, this passage tells that a Christian should never hide in his pain.  

Paul David Tripp puts it this way. "We all know that we don't own the blessings in our lives, that we are meant to pass them forward into the lives of others, but this passage confronts us with the fact that even our sufferings belong to the Lord for His use... This means that our suffering has ministry in view" (Tripp, Paul David, Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn't Make Sense. p183).

Your struggle is an opportunity for you to be comforted, and your comforting opens up fresh avenues of ministry to you. It literally trains and equips you to comfort others who struggle with the same kind of struggle you have had. This is why widows are often most effective at ministering to other widows. It's why those who have escaped the predatory porn industry have started ministries to help other porn actors escape and find freedom in Jesus as well. It's why recovered addicts play such a major role in addiction recovery programs. Those who have been through the fire, who received God's comfort in the battle, know best how to comfort others. 

So don't be greedy with your pain. Don't hide it away or struggle alone. If God has already brought you through something, then He did so in part so you could help bring someone else through something similar. And if you are in the midst of your struggle right now, then go to the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort and ask Him to minister to your needs. And let others know what you are going through. It just may be that as God comforts you you'll be able to reach out to someone you know who is struggling as well with the fresh supplies of comfort and hope that you have received from the Lord.