Howling wind, pouring rain, waves 12 feet high, and me in a small boat in the Caribbean. I looked at the captain who gave me a confident thumbs-up. He'd been through it all before.

We feel better about tough times if we're around someone who has weathered them. As Believers we can offer that assurance to others as a result of our struggles. It's true that God uses challenges for our spiritual growth, but it's also a way of preparing us to help others. When the world sees us acting with confident assurance, and trusting in God, they can learn to draw on Him for that same source of strength. You can only know comfort if you've first experienced pain. The Bible says we can comfort others with the same kind of comfort we had during our storms.