Paul’s purpose for suffering in Philippians 1:13 was “so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” His suffering had a purpose greater than him. If you would have told Paul that he would be suffering for the cause of Christ when he was a Pharisee, he probably would have never believed you. However, once God changed his life, his suffering took on a greater purpose.
Paul went through so much suffering in his life. He did it all for the cause of Christ. He always lived to make the gospel known in his life, so everything he did, he did for Christ, and that included suffering. We all go through suffering in our lives. How we view our suffering can have an impact on us. If we view our suffering as debilitating and destructive, then we will not allow God to use our suffering for good. If we view our suffering as a vessel for God’s glory, then we will be able to get through the suffering with purpose.
Have you been through suffering? Have you allowed God to walk you through it with purpose. There is always purpose in the pain if we allow God to be in control.