Note 2 at 1Co 4:11: At this time, Paul had been ministering the Gospel full-time for over ten years, yet there were times that he still was hungry, thirsty, without sufficient clothing, and without permanent residence. This was not because God willed that Paul be poor.

Much of Paul's adversity in these areas was because he was a pioneer, going where no one had ever shared the Gospel before (Ro 15:20). There were special hardships associated with that type of ministry then just as there are today.

Also, Paul voluntarily refused to receive money from the Corinthian church (1Co 9:12-18). This means there was less support for his ministry, but it was his choice. So, much of Paul's adversity was caused by a unique situation.

However, those who depend on freewill gifts from others are going to have fluctuations in their income. This can be minimized, but it cannot be controlled without controlling people--which is not God's will. So, hardships exist, especially for ministers, but it is important that they aren't interpreted as God's perfect will.

In the same way that soldiers in war experience hardships, so ministers who are in battle with Satan suffer at times. However, it would be wrong to say that this suffering is what God wills, just as it would be wrong to say that commanders want their troops to be hungry, cold, or whatever. The closer to the battle, the worse the hardships. But it's not the commander-in-chief who is causing the problems; it's the enemy.

When adversity comes, we need to be like Paul and be content in whatever state we find ourselves (Php 4:11). However, we don't need to look for hardship and believe for trouble because of wrong teaching about how God takes care of His own.