1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 (KJV)

1 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;

2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:

3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.

4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
We all need to be established and encouraged in the faith. For this to happen we need others who God sends our way, those who have been counted faithful and are ahead of us in our journey to become more like Jesus.
One of the reasons for this is that we won’t be shaken when afflictions (hard, testing, difficulty, pressure, anguish, burden, persecution, tribulation, trouble, oppression, distress,…) comes along. There is not if but a when as we can see from verses 3 and 4. it even says we are appointed to this. 
Therefore let us aim to encourage one another in our faith to stand firm for we live in evil times.