Sometimes we look at our suffering and ask, “Why am I going through this?” But perhaps we should ask another question: “Who am I suffering for?” Not every painful experience is meaningless. God can take what we have endured and use it to comfort, strengthen, and bless someone else. Romans 8:28 reminds us that “all things work together for good to them that love God.”
The Apostle Paul understood this deeply. He endured imprisonment, beatings, rejection, hunger, and many other hardships, yet he saw his suffering differently. He wrote, “Whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation” (2 Corinthians 1:6). Paul recognized that his pain could become a source of encouragement and salvation for others.
The Bible teaches us that God can use our wounds as instruments of ministry. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says that God comforts us in our tribulation so that we may be able to comfort others going through their own troubles. Sometimes the very place where we have suffered becomes the place from which God gives us compassion for others.
A powerful example is our dear proprietor, Papa Bill Wegener. His childhood was marked by hardship, loss, and painful experiences. As an orphan, he faced abuses and difficulties that could have left him bitter and hopeless. But instead of letting his past destroy him, he chose to let God use it as a testimony and a source of compassion for others.
What could have become a story of bitterness became a story of blessing. Through his experiences, Papa Bill developed a heart for people who are suffering and in need. JesusFedMe (JFM) was born out of that vision—to reach hungry and vulnerable people, meet practical needs, share the Gospel, and point people toward Jesus Christ. His suffering did not have the final word; God gave it a purpose.
This reminds us of Joseph. His brothers betrayed him, and he suffered greatly, yet God eventually used his position to save many lives. Joseph told his brothers, “Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” (Genesis 50:20). What Joseph experienced was painful, but God transformed his suffering into a means of preserving others.
The greatest example of all is Jesus Christ. Jesus suffered not because He deserved punishment, but because of us. Isaiah 53:5 says, “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.” His suffering at the cross brought salvation to humanity. First Peter 2:24 declares that He “bore our sins in his own body on the tree.” Christ shows us the greatest picture of suffering becoming a blessing to others.
Therefore, when you suffer, do not immediately conclude that your life has lost meaning. Ask yourself, “Lord, who can I help because of what I have been through?” Your experience may give you compassion for someone who is walking through the same valley. Your testimony may give hope to someone about to give up. Your scars may become evidence that God can heal and restore.
This does not mean that suffering itself is good or that we should seek suffering. Rather, it means that God is powerful enough to bring good out of painful seasons. Romans 5:3-4 teaches that tribulation can produce patience, experience, and hope. God can take what was meant to break us and use it to build something that blesses others.
So, when you find yourself suffering, change your perspective. Instead of asking only, “Why me?”, ask, “Lord, what are You teaching me, and who can You bless through my story?” Your suffering may become someone else’s encouragement, your testimony may become someone else’s hope, and your past may become a platform through which God demonstrates His grace. As Jesus said, “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).
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