By the end of this lesson, the student should:

(1) Identify struggles that ministers face during times of suffering.

(2) Recognize practical ways God strengthens church leaders in suffering.

(3) Speak honestly about suffering with church members.

(4) Focus on the character of God during times of suffering.

► Each student should write or recite 2 Corinthians 1:5–7 from memory.

► Students who found good resources for professional care should share them with the class.

Barry was a successful church planter and beloved pastor. Tragically, he took his own life at the age of 31. Later, his widow wrote about his struggle:

In an effort to be a good pastor, he spent lots of time with his people. He was involved in their joys and sorrows. But in his caring for others, he did not allow others into his life to care for him. We had no authentic community and no real accountability. Barry was afraid to appear weak.[1]

Most pastors will never experience the deep despair that led Barry to suicide. However, many pastors and church leaders struggle with discouragement and depression. Many serve from a place of deep pain.

► Have you ever served in ministry while going through a time of suffering? What challenges did you face?

Some people will think it should be easy for pastors to minister even when they are suffering. After all, pastors teach about God’s goodness and wisdom. They counsel others who are suffering. However, knowing the right answers does not make one’s own suffering easier.

Dr. John Feinberg, a Christian philosopher, wrote his doctoral dissertation on the problem of evil. His books on suffering in the Christian life are widely respected. Yet when Dr. Feinberg experienced terrible suffering in his own life, he realized, “I had all these intellectual answers, but none of them made any difference in how I felt.”[2] Suffering is not just a topic for study; it is a test of our faith.

Many church leaders struggle when they face suffering because they must continue caring for others while having little chance to receive care themselves. In this lesson, we will learn how to minister effectively even when we are suffering.

► Read 2 Corinthians 1:3–4.

Paul ministered in Corinth for about 18 months and left behind a growing church. However, when Timothy later visited Corinth, he reported many problems. The church was divided. They misused spiritual gifts. They tolerated open immorality. Paul addressed these problems in 1 Corinthians.

Later, Paul made what he referred to as a painful visit to Corinth (2 Corinthians 2:1). During this visit, some church members rejected his authority, questioned his integrity, and even challenged his right to be called an apostle. He left Corinth deeply hurt.

Paul wrote 2 Corinthians as a follow-up letter. In this very personal letter, Paul spoke openly about the pressures of ministry. He described emotional pain, persecution, beatings, and a thorn in the flesh. Yet he concluded, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Paul suffered greatly, but he also experienced God’s comfort. Because God comforted him, Paul was able to comfort others.

Teaching from 2 Corinthians 1:3–4, Dr. Danny McCain identified six truths about God’s comfort:[1]

1. The world is filled with hurting people.

2. God expects us to help those who are hurting.

3. God never gives us a job without preparing us for it.

4. God prepares us to comfort others by comforting us.

5. Unfortunately, we cannot be comforted unless we experience pain and hurt.

6. Therefore, God in his infinite wisdom, allows us to hurt so that he can comfort us. In turn, we can use the comfort we have experienced to comfort other people.

Dr. McCain illustrated these principles with a personal example:

It was a painful thing to lose my firstborn son. However, God has used that experience in my life many times. In Nigeria, I have had dozens of students who have lost children. When a person grieving over a child’s death learns that I have also lost a child, the dynamics between us instantly change. Who is better able to offer comfort to someone who has lost a child than someone who has also gone through that experience?[2]

God uses our suffering to prepare us to minister to others.

Paul’s example shows that church leaders cannot expect to avoid suffering simply because they are serving God. Every person suffers. Yet Paul’s example also shows that we can minister effectively even while suffering.

Elisabeth Elliot once described suffering as a gift. “Like all gifts, the gift of suffering is not for ourselves alone, but for the sake of the body of Christ.”[3] Like Paul, we can use what we learn in suffering to serve the church more effectively. We can learn to minister from a place of pain.

In the remainder of this lesson, pastors, missionaries, and church leaders share lessons they have learned while ministering to others during their own deep suffering. These leaders open their hearts to share their struggles and practical lessons they have learned.[4]

Question 1: “What struggles or temptations did you face while ministering during a season of suffering?”

One person who serves in church leadership while suffering from a chronic affliction pointed to the temptation to hide our weakness. “There is a great temptation to hide any weakness, only allowing victorious moments to be on display. As people who are leading others, we must resist the pressure to appear in public as though we have all the answers when we wrestle privately with pain, disappointment, and fatigue. On some days, we are simply trying to hold onto hope.”

Many leaders hesitate to admit weakness even to themselves. One leader wrote, “I tried to plow through and keep operating as though nothing had changed. I didn’t want to be a burden to others. However, I started noticing that I was cracking around the edges. My normally steady emotions began to betray me. I began to feel like I had failed God.” This leader learned that she must listen when her body told her to stop. From that experience, she learned to let other believers use their gifts to serve her in her season of weakness.

Leaders have learned that suffering can make us more vulnerable to temptation. One leader wrote, “Satan does not fight fair. He takes advantage of physical weakness to attack with strong temptations.”

Temptation may take many forms. In some people, it will be a temptation to sinful actions. In others, it will be a temptation to grumbling and complaining. When you are hurting, “It is tempting to minimize the pain of others that seems to be on a smaller scale.” We may think their problems are small compared to our own.

Satan will tempt others to bitterness because they are suffering while other people are celebrating accomplishments and victories. One leader wrote, “There is a temptation towards isolation and bitterness if we compare our story to others.’”

Many Christian leaders struggle with feelings of guilt during times of suffering. They feel guilty that their ministry is limited by difficult circumstances. A church leader who cares for his ailing wife wrote, “I love my ministry. When I must give up some of what I am doing, it leaves me with a sense of unfulfillment and regret.”

Church leaders who are suffering face the temptation to quit. One pastor wrote, “Despite a deep sense of weakness, I had to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I had to show up and serve.” Another pastor wrote, “While my wife was sick, I knew I could not become self-indulgent or lazy. I must not quit seeking the Lord, studying his Word, or sharing in ministry.”

However, some leaders face the opposite temptation: the temptation to use ministry as an escape from personal pain. After losing his wife in a tragic accident, a minister wrote that at first “Immersion in ministry provided a form of escape. But ultimately, I needed to face the challenges of home. We ministers must remember that using ministry as an escape from our own problems will not bring healing. It may simply mask them and allow them to fester beneath the surface. To minister as we should, we must find the healing God wants to give so that we can sincerely testify to his power.”

Balancing ministry responsibilities and care for a hurting family member creates pressure on some church leaders. Some pastors find that they can continue serving in a leadership role while caring for a sick spouse. Others find that they must step away from pastoral work for a season. Each situation is different, and a leader’s decision must be guided by their own unique circumstances.

One leader whose spouse suffered from dementia wrote, “God called me to step out of my ministry position for a time to care for my wife. After her death, I returned to church leadership but for that season, she was my primary ministry.” As we have seen throughout this course, there is no single answer that fits every situation. Instead, we must trust the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the counsel of mature church leaders to guide us to a wise decision regarding our responsibilities to the church and our responsibility to our spouse or other suffering family member.

Many pastors struggle with loneliness in times of suffering. They are expected to care for others, yet they may feel there is no one available to care for them. More than one pastor wrote, “For a pastor, times of suffering are profoundly lonely.”

Depression and the temptation to despair are common struggles during extended periods of suffering. A pastor wrote, “Even for mature leaders, the temptation to stop trusting the Lord is real. There are moments when the only thing we feel is pain, darkness, and things being out of our control. When loved ones were suffering… when my prayers went unanswered… when the promises of scripture seemed to be for someone else—in those moments I had to refocus my heart and mind on what God says, away from what I was hearing in my mind.” Looking back on a time of great pain, a minister remembered, “My fatigue and weakened body caused me to question everything. I know I was ready for heaven, but pain and trauma took me to a place that I did not understand.”

► What are the greatest struggles or temptations you have faced while serving during a time of suffering?

Question 2: “What was the greatest source of encouragement during your suffering?”

Most leaders said that God’s Word was their greatest encouragement. In times of illness, prayer and scripture become “a lifeline that is more important than ever before.”

A couple wrote, “God’s Word has been our anchor through all that we have encountered. Psalm 147:3 hangs on the wall of our living room as a daily reminder of God’s faithfulness to work through suffering: ‘He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.’ God has promised that he will be with us. Hebrews 13:5, ‘…I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

A pastor whose infant son died from spinal meningitis wrote of the comfort he and his wife gained from a funeral sermon on 1 Thessalonians 4:13. “It is normal for God’s people to grieve,” he said, “but scripture offers us hope—hope that we will see our son in eternity, hope that God will help us to overcome the grief, hope that this tragic death will have meaning.”

The psalms are especially meaningful because they express such a wide range of emotions. The psalms speak to every situation: rejoicing and weeping, praise and lament, joy and sorrow, victory and defeat. One leader wrote, “The psalms give voice to our experiences, providing a place of rest for our emotions and questions.”

Christian songs often bring comfort, especially when pain makes it hard to concentrate on scripture. Nearly every church leader identified at least one hymn that brought comfort on dark days.

For many leaders, the scriptures and hymns that brought comfort in their suffering were texts that they had learned long before they faced suffering. This suggests that we should learn scripture and hymns before we need them. When we memorize scripture and Christian songs, we are preparing for the day when we will need comfort and encouragement.

The example of Jesus provides encouragement in suffering. One leader found comfort in the story of Jesus weeping at the tomb of Lazarus. “There is great comfort when we realize that Jesus wept with them, even though he knew he would soon raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus himself would soon also rise from the dead, conquering sin and death, but he chose to stop and weep with those who were grieving Lazarus’ death.” Reading about Christ’s suffering reminds us that he understands our suffering.

Like the Apostle Paul, church leaders today can find encouragement through the support of other believers. While loneliness is one of the greatest struggles during suffering, the support of faithful believers can be one of the greatest encouragements. As one leader said, “The people of God are an exceptional gift to a hurting believer.” They are God’s instrument of comfort and strength. Another said, “We have been encouraged by other believers who have walked similar journeys of suffering.”

Grieving the loss of his son, a pastor wrote, “One of the things I learned during the period of grief was simply the importance of the comfort that people can bring to you. It was not necessarily their words or gifts or deeds. It was simply the knowledge that they cared about you during this situation.”

When prayer is difficult, the prayers of other believers bring strength and help. As leaders, we must not be afraid to share our struggles with mature believers who can support us in prayer. Although we may be unable to share details with the entire church, it is helpful to find a group of believers to provide prayer support and encouragement.

God may bring comfort through our ministry to others. While caring for his wife, one pastor found comfort in his ongoing ministry. “Focusing on the needs of others was a source of strength and grace to me. Preaching the Word of God sustained me. Listening to others and working with others going through difficult seasons enabled me to see the universal nature of suffering and the blessings I was still enjoying despite my trouble.” Another leader wrote, “Seeing God use the testimony of his grace in my life to help others has been one of the most healing things I have experienced.”

Maintaining a regular schedule and daily routines can help a leader through difficult times. While caring for his wife during her extended illness, a pastor said, “I needed unbroken time early in the morning to pour out my heart to the Lord and to hear from him through his Word. While spending a great deal of time being with my wife was a priority, it was also an opportunity to spend time with the Lord as she rested.” Even the discipline of daily exercise brought emotional healing to a grieving minister.

Finally, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit as a Comforter and Helper (John 14:16). After a long illness, a pastor wrote, “Remaining attentive to the Holy Spirit’s presence became a wellspring of strength—one that carried me through a season of intense suffering.” Even when others abandon us, the Holy Spirit will never leave us alone.

► What brought you the greatest encouragement during suffering?

Question 3: “What lessons have you learned through suffering?”

Believers are called to steward our suffering in a way that allows God to accomplish his good purpose. We must not waste our suffering by failing to learn the lessons God wants to teach us in difficult times. Here are some lessons that church leaders have learned from suffering.

Suffering teaches us the importance of simply being present with people who are hurting. When we suffer as church leaders, we gain a new awareness of the hurts of other people. We begin to see that our presence makes a difference to hurting people. One leader wrote, “I was not aware of the hurting people around me until I experienced deep pain. Now I see them and have a passion to point them to the God who brought healing to me.”

Ministering during times of suffering calls us to be honest and vulnerable with those we serve. One college teacher who has experienced physical suffering wrote, “I am more honest with my students about my struggles and am reminded daily that we are clay pots carrying a treasure. Faithful ministry flows from dependence rather than strength.” A missionary who questioned her ability to serve after a stroke wrote that she learned that people understand your limits when you are honest about your needs.

More than one church leader wrote that they had learned important lessons about prayer during times of suffering. “Rather than having the right words to say, we have found it helpful to speak exactly as we feel and make bold, simple requests.” Another pastor wrote that suffering increased his intimacy with God and his effectiveness in ministry. Being forced to fully rely on God puts us in a place where God can use us in a new and powerful way.

In suffering, we learn that God gives daily grace. “Growing with Jesus through suffering is a day-by-day experience. Our God gives us grace for today, and we have found it sufficient.” This can be especially difficult for church leaders. Many pastors like to plan far into the future. But suffering forces us to focus only on today. “Stress, fear, and anxiety enter the picture when we go beyond what God has called us to face today.” We learn to trust God’s daily grace. “In suffering, we learn that we must depend completely on God, and God is enough.”

When we are suffering, it is important to remember that God loves us with an infinite love. In our pain, Satan may tempt us to think, “God has forgotten me.” But as Job learned, God never abandons his children. Although the pain may be great, the God of the universe wants to whisper to us, “I love you. I am with you.” One leader wrote, “I knew with my mind—but now have experienced personally—that although God does not keep us from pain, he will always join us in our pain. I know more deeply than I ever knew before that he is good, and I can trust him.”

In difficult times, we learn to set right priorities. The pastor of a growing church learned that he could turn some responsibilities over to other people. “Many things I was doing before my wife’s illness were not all that important for me to do. Others quickly stepped up and grew as leaders because I was letting go of things I should have let go of long ago. I was forced to do only those things that mattered most: love the Lord and pursue him; love my wife and care for her. It became clear. Nothing else was all that important.”

Perhaps the lesson that would be most surprising to unbelievers is the truth that, even in sorrow, the believer can truly rejoice. “Joy and sorrow can coexist. Rejoicing in the Lord means choosing to anchor our joy in who God is rather than in our circumstances. Christians suffer, but we suffer with hope!”

Why do we rejoice? Because we know that “God often does his best work in our most challenging hour.” A pastor testified that during the years he was caring for his terminally ill wife, their church doubled in size, and they planted three new churches. Even in a dark valley of suffering, God did an amazing work in and through this hurting pastor. “God wants to take our greatest challenges and turn them into tools he can use to do what we could never do ourselves.”

► What lessons has God taught you through suffering?

This testimony was written by Pastor Allegri, a church leader who has served in Zambia and Rwanda.

My experience of suffering in Zambia profoundly shaped my love for God and deepened my appreciation for how he uses suffering and pain to conform his people to the image of his Son. This experience also transformed the way I relate to others who are suffering. I feel a deep sense of closeness to them and a stronger desire to serve them—both spiritually and by helping meet their physical needs.

When I first came to Christ, my understanding of the Christian life was limited. I was aware of my need to not sin against God, aware of the promise of eternal life, and aware of the dangers of sin—but my understanding was not deep. I was not fully aware of the quality of life to which God was calling me. In my church context, pastors frequently preached about suffering and called the saints to persevere. However, little was said about the purpose of suffering, beyond the idea that God was testing us.

Shortly after my wedding, I was confronted with the reality of suffering in very tangible ways. I experienced prolonged hunger and the lack of basic necessities such as clothing. I lost my scholarship to attend law school and was eventually forced (by circumstances) to live in a refugee camp, where we received little support to meet our basic needs. Laws governing employment for foreigners and refugees were harsh and required extensive documentation that was difficult to obtain. As a result, I lived in total dependence on the help of others.

In my marriage, we also endured deep pain. We did not have the privilege of children during the first six years—three years without conception, followed by two miscarriages. My wife suffered from severe anemia and was later diagnosed with cervical incompetence. Alongside this, there was the ongoing struggle of inadequate food, living in a hut, and walking for hours to preach—even during the rainy season, sometimes at night through dangerous forests. I faced discrimination for being a foreigner, faced restrictions that prevented me from freely expressing my nationality, and had to hide my identity out of fear of persecution.

These experiences were compounded by further sorrows: a false accusation of espionage and forcible removal from the country, the pain of losing my beloved mother after more than 13 years of separation, and the difficulty of resettling in a new country.

I struggled deeply during these seasons because I did not fully understand the purpose of what I was going through. I often wondered why God would allow such things in my life. At times, I questioned whether this was the abundant Christian life described in scripture. I asked myself whether there would ever be a day in this life when I would be delivered from these trials. Many of these hardships occurred simultaneously; at other times, one would subside only for another to begin.

During this time, two false teachings were used by Satan to harm my faith. First, prosperity theology weakened my confidence by teaching that faith is linked to material success. Some pastors taught, “You are still poor; you are still sick, or you are still suffering because your faith is not strong enough or you are not praying enough.” This caused me to doubt.

A second false teaching was that suffering was linked to a generational curse or to the actions of a witch among family members or in the community. This syncretism between Christianity and pagan religion took my attention away from Christ and even cultivated hatred towards suspected family members.

However, when I came to understand the gospel, the Holy Spirit began to show me that these beliefs were not consistent with the Word of God. Through scripture, God helped me to see how these seasons of suffering, pain, and grief were working together to accomplish God’s purpose of conforming me to the image of his Son.

There were many struggles during this time of suffering. One major temptation was the desire to leave Africa and seek opportunities abroad. I thought that serving God in Western countries would be easier than serving in Africa. During moments of deep need, I found myself searching for opportunities abroad, even though my heart remained committed to serving the African continent. This internal conflict created tension between my sense of calling and my desire for relief from suffering.

Another temptation was comparison. I frequently compared myself with fellow ministers and colleagues who had relocated to Western countries. This led to painful questions about whether they cared about my situation and whether they could have assisted me with basic needs such as food and housing. I struggled with resentment towards them for what I perceived as their indifference, and this resentment became a serious spiritual battle.

Perhaps the deepest struggle was theological: reconciling the goodness of God with the reality of my suffering. I wrestled with questions about God’s goodness. At the same time, I was afraid to voice these questions to God because I feared he would be angry with me. This fear kept many of my questions unspoken and unresolved.

I faced the temptation to lose heart when I was serving others while my own needs were unmet, and my prayers seemed unanswered. There were moments when ministry was costly in ways I had not anticipated, especially when I was pouring into others from a place of personal emptiness.

Although there were many temptations, I also found encouragement during this time. The greatest encouragement was from my time alone with God. There were moments when everything seemed to fall apart, and I lacked the courage and desire to keep going. Yet each time, my private moments with God through prayer, fasting, and his Word sustained me. Although my prayer life was not always strong, I found encouragement in those moments when I could cry out to God. It felt as though he placed an arm around my shoulder, reminding me that I was not alone.

The promises of God brought encouragement in difficult times. I remember a time when I had to pay overdue rent of just $15. During that season, I remember telling God that I was ready for anything. I was willing to face any trial, humiliation, or suffering for the promise of eternal life. Each time I was tested, I fixed my eyes on the promise of eternal life. That promise became my anchor. God’s promises have encouraged me—not the promise that things will improve, but the assurance that God will walk with me through fire and through water.

Extended periods of fasting also became a great encouragement. Fasting helped me offload my grief and pain to God and be refilled with the encouragement that comes from his nearness and renewal. Fasting, coupled with studying and meditating on God’s Word, sustained my heart and helped me remain encouraged.

What are the most important lessons I learned from these experiences? I learned about God’s faithfulness. I learned that even in seasons of suffering, God remains faithful. He does not change, and he brings us through every trial, just as Psalm 34 promises.

I also came to understand the goodness of God in the midst of suffering. When we are in pain, it is difficult to relate God’s goodness to our circumstances. Yet I have learned—and I am still learning—that there is always a side of suffering that reveals God’s goodness. God does not test us because he hates us, but because he loves and cares for us. He desires to make us more like him, to grow us into mature children who increasingly reflect his nature and character.

This truth is not always easy to grasp. At times, it has taken months or even years for me to recognize God’s goodness in those moments. Looking back now, I clearly see how good God was to me during those seasons. This helps me as I minister to people who are going through what I have gone through. I can relate to their sufferings. I use my testimony to encourage them. I am able to minister with compassion and patience to those who are walking through pain.

Another lesson I have learned is the growth of faith. I have seen my faith in God mature. When I now face suffering, I remember how God has delivered me in the past—how he walked with me, protected me, and ultimately brought good results out of painful circumstances. This reassures me that I can trust him, even when I do not fully understand what is happening or where he is leading. This lesson has helped me trust God when I am sent to a new place and new environment. He has been with me in the past assignment; he surely will be with me in this new one!

I have also learned the difficult lesson of obedience. One of the hardest aspects of suffering is obeying God while enduring trouble. There were times when obedience required me to leave good places—schools, comfortable living situations, good food, and promising opportunities. Obeying God in such circumstances was extremely difficult, yet those moments shaped my faith and deepened my trust in him. This has helped me to say “Yes” to him even when I know that I may be risking my life and my family’s comfort. I do this not by my own strength but because the Spirit of God enables me. It is not so easy, but God has taught me to obey him even when there are so many risks. As long as I know it is God’s will, I must say “Yes” to him.

► Pray for pastors and church leaders you know who are suffering difficult situations. Pray that God will pour grace into their lives and help their suffering to accomplish eternal good.

(1) Think of the most difficult time you have faced in your life or ministry to this point. Write 3–4 paragraphs in which you summarize the lessons you learned from your experience. The lessons you list may be similar to the ones in this lesson, or they may be entirely different. There is no right or wrong answer for this assignment. It is an opportunity for you to reflect on what God has taught you through the pain in your life.

(2) Memorize 2 Corinthians 7:9–10. You will write or recite this scripture at the beginning of your next class.