"Paul is impressing upon them that it is the hardships that he had to go through. It is the agony that he had to go through. It is the testing and proving of the genuineness of his faith that God put him through, and God approved. Because God kept using him effectively for the ministry of the gospel after having passed the test. It was not his physical performance. It was his faithfulness to stay true to Christ in the midst of hardship.
"We need to realize these things because we live in a day where Christians look to escape the hardship. Look for an easy way out. But in reality, the difficult way is God proving us. Proving the genuineness of our faith to trust Him through it all. Not knowing what He is going to do, or how He is going to do it, but trusting Him. That He is in charge. And He controls everything. That is our testimony."
