In the summer of 2019, I served as a short-term missionary in the Philippines, helping bring the gospel to an unreached island of 20,000 people with fewer than 50 believers. During our training, the leaders didn’t just teach us cultural context and evangelism methods—they were honest about the oncoming suffering. Through it, the flesh and the Enemy attempted to convince us of the same lie: This suffering isn’t worth it. I’m done. Why didn’t I stay home to do my own thing?
My own team faced many types of suffering firsthand. We argued over evangelistic methods. One teammate’s mother was deathly ill with cancer before the trip began, nearly keeping him off the trip. Another grumbled against the team leader, causing an undercurrent of strife. One village resisted our presence and caused us to leave quicker than we wanted. Time and time again, something rose up to make us doubt whether giving up our summer to be there had been the right decision at all.
I often asked, “Why is this happening to me?”
I imagine Job felt similarly. Job is introduced as a “blameless and upright” man, “one who feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1:1). Then, Satan accuses God, claiming Job’s devotion is nothing more than a byproduct of His blessing. God permits him to test this claim, and Satan strips Job of his wealth, health, and children in rapid succession. It gets to the point where his own wife urges him to curse God and be done with it. When Job resists, his friends spend nearly 27 chapters insisting he repent of a sin he never committed to alleviate his suffering.
Job’s suffering provided every reason to say, “This suffering isn’t worth it. God, I’m done with you. I’m going to do my own thing.” But he didn’t. He suffered faithfully, never cursing the Lord or turning his own way.
There is much that those of us called to ministry can learn from Job, because there will be many times when we trek through suffering and consider saying, “I’m done. It’s not worth it.”
We need reminders for why faithful suffering is worth it in ministry.
Suffering Under His Sovereignty
God was not surprised when Satan challenged Him about the earnestness of Job’s devotion—He offered up Job himself. This was no arbitrary act, but one that was sovereignly ordained so that God could show His glory through Job’s suffering.
The same is true for us. If God has called you to ministry leadership, He is sovereign over that calling so that He can display His power through us. He places us where he wants us so that they may seek and find God (Acts 17:27). God’s calling isn’t haphazard. This includes our suffering. 1 Peter 4:19 says, “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” We can suffer according to the will of God, refuse to reject him, and trust him—even without fully understanding.
Despite all the hardship we faced as we ministered that summer in the Philippines, we trusted that God had sent us there for a specific reason to proclaim His glory, even amidst obstacles.
Suffering for Our Joy
Job does not explicitly express any joy in the book, but there are shadows of rejoicing. God blessed Job, and he died “an old man and full of days” (Job 42:17). He ends his life living in the blessedness of God, reminding us that true joy is ultimately found in God Himself (Ps. 16:11).
The New Testament reminds us that our suffering is never pointless. James tells us to count it all joy when we suffer because our testing leads to endurance toward mature holiness (Jas. 1:2-4). Peter and John leap for joy because they were “counted worthy to suffer dishonor” for Christ (Acts 5:41).
Faithful suffering is worth it because endurance produces maturity that allows us to experience the joy of the Lord. We know that God works everything together for the good of those who love him (Rom. 8:28). This includes the joy of faithful obedience through suffering to God.
We continued laboring for the Lord that summer despite our issues. We suffered and ministered with Him, participated in His joy, saw people receive the gospel, and recognized that we were being obedient just like our missionary heroes—including C.T. Studd, who said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice is too great for me to make for him.”[1]
Suffering for Gospel Advancement
Job carries missional implications. Job lived in the land of Uz—meaning he was a Gentile. Yet, he knew God personally. Amidst his children and servants, he influenced many people. Job’s faithful suffering led him to pray for his friends, and all his brothers, sisters, and everyone who had known him before came to visit him and show sympathy and comfort after his suffering (42:11). His faithfulness gave him a great opportunity to tell them what the Lord had done for him, and to show how worthy he was to faithfully suffer for Him.
When we faithfully suffer in ministry, we show the Lord’s worth and display our faith in the gospel. Your suffering can be used to proclaim the gospel. God may be calling you to a position or place that is difficult. You may be like Adoniram Judson, laboring for years before you see any fruit. You may be like Elisabeth Elliot, laboring in a place that reminds you of a great tragedy that has caused you great suffering. But it is all worth it for the proclamation of the gospel to all creation.
We finished that summer through all the hardship and suffering. Since we returned, many short-term teams and long-term nationals have gone to that same island to continue ministering. This year—seven years after our initial trip—they finally built a small building to house the church, after many had been baptized. While we cannot take any credit, we see that our short-term faithful suffering led to the continued advance of the gospel.
Minister, continue to faithfully suffer for the Lord. It is under his sovereign will, for your joy, and for the advancement of the gospel.
[1] Grubb, Norman. C. T. Studd: Cricketer & Pioneer. Cambridge: Lutterworth Press, 2003, 144.