Paul and Silas, accompanied by Luke and Timothy, were in Troas when Paul had a vision: a man from Macedonia saying “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And so they began their journey.

Now, you would assume if God called you to do something he would bless you, make the way smooth, and protect you — and He did. However, that didn’t mean the journey was comfortable and without pain. Sometimes you need the pain.

Arriving at Philippi, the little group preached the Gospel to the inhabitants, but a slave girl with a spirit of divination went around proclaiming “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 

Ironically, though she was proclaiming the truth, she did so in such a way as to annoy Paul. Finally, his patience at its limit, Paul used his authority to cast out the spirit. Now when the girl’s owners found out they were enraged by this because they made money from the girl’s fortunetelling. So they brought the group to the city council to accuse them. The council had Paul and Silas thrown into jail after they beat them. God did not prevent the beating or the jailing and for good reason: He had a plan.

When the jail was thrown open by an earthquake, Paul and Silas, who had been praying and singing, did not leave. However, the jailer thought everyone had escaped and was about to commit suicide. He would have been executed if the prisoners had escaped, so he was determined to kill himself. Paul and Silas prevented him by letting him know they were still there. So relieved and grateful was the jailer that he said “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

As a result, the jailer and all his family were saved that night and began following Jesus. If Paul and Silas had not suffered the indignation and injustice of a public beating without trial, that man and his family most likely would have been lost. Remember that similar incident when Peter was thrown in jail by Herod? An Angel came and released him; the next day all the guards were executed.

Here is the point, following Jesus is not going to be pain free. He won’t protect you from all the pain, but God can use that pain for good. His purpose is an eternal purpose that will last beyond the end of the age. Paul and Silas and their companions were successful and admired because they valued the eternal mission over the temporal.

This story can be found in your Bible in ACTs Chapter 16.