We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 2 Corinthians 1:8 NLT
That’s Paul talking. You know, the Apostle.
Crushed. Overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure.
His words.
We think you ought to know.
In case you think being in leadership, or in ministry is easy.
In case you think I’m exempt.
In case you think following God means everything is smoothed out …
We think you ought to know.
It was too much.
I did not see how we were going to get through it.
Not the words we typically think of coming out of the mouth of someone who wrote a big chunk of the New Testament.
But there they are. Unvarnished.
If you read the whole passage, though, you find Paul learned three important things.
He learned God’s comfort rains down. (v.5)
He learned to rely on God alone. (v. 9)
He learned how many people were praying for him and how necessary those prayers were. (v.11)
If you are in a place like Paul, may God comfort you with the assurance that the things he learned are true for you as well.
If you are not in a place like Paul …
Pray for those who are.