Here's a few things that might be accomplished by your illness/suffering:
1. Suffering deepens faith and holiness. (2Cor1:8-9)
Suffering has the effect of weaning us from the world and setting our hopes fully in God alone.
It builds compassion into us & those around us.
2. Suffering makes your cup increase. (2Cor4:17-18)
It not only gives us hope in heaven to endure suffering but it actually enlarges our capacity to enjoy God's glory both here and in the age to come.
3. Suffering is the price of making others bold.
If he must, God will use the suffering of his devoted emissiaries to make a sleeping church wake up and take risks for God. Suffering wakes up those who have become apathetic due to life's comforts.
4. Suffering fills up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
This is not to say that Christ's afflictions were insufficient; merely that they are lacking, because they are not known and felt by people who were not at the cross. We not only carry the message of Christ's sufferings but suffer with Christ in way that others can see a glimpse of Christ's suffering through our own.
5. Suffering enforces the missionary command to go.
Where comfort, affluence, prosperity, safety and freedom produce apathy and self centredness, suffering can result in more prayer, power and open purses.
6. Suffering shows the world what is really important & of great worth.
Suffering is finally to show God's supremacy and his power and love to sustain us when we can't do anything to sustain ourselves. The reason we can rejoice in persecution is that the worth of our reward in heaven is so much greater than what we lose through suffering on earth; therefore, suffering with joy proves to the world that our treasure is in heaven & not on earth, and that this treasure is greater than anything the world has to offer.
Source: Chapter 4, Suffering & Sovereignty of God, Piper & Taylor
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