Have you ever considered that some of the experiences you have gone through weren’t for your growth but were to be used to bless others? Those times of “training” by the Lord are for future use as he brings people who need to be comforted. That affliction you are enduring now will be used by God later to lift up the defeated. Comfort the afflicted when God brings them
2 Corinthians 1:4
“He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we receive from God.”
Paul’s Affliction
No one, besides Christ, knew more affliction than the Apostle Paul. If you read chapter eleven and twelve of this Epistle, you will see all that he endured. When he writes this verse, he isn’t looking for sympathy or pity. He is saying to those in Corinth that he can comfort the afflicted. That’s a big thing because it was a city of have’s and have not’s. Those who were on the outside looking in had to endure a lot of hardship and judgment from those who had more than they knew what to do with.
Speak into Their Lives
You may have asked God why you were going through a severe trial. It seemed disproportionate to everything else. You hadn’t done anything to deserve the struggle so why the severity. God may know that you have the makeup to minister to some people who desperately need it. Maybe you have dealt with the deaths of several loved ones? You can come alongside those people who have suffered a sudden and unexpected loss. You can speak into their life.
Meet the Need
There are a lot of afflicted people in the world who need our love and compassion. When God brings them along your path, make sure you comfort them. This may mean just listening, or it could mean coming to their aid at work on in their home. Whatever opportunity God leads you in to meet the need, do it. You will be surprised how much joy it gives you.