Where do you turn to find comfort amidst your trouble and trials? Do you consider all pain and hurt a waste? Do you often find yourself wondering what good could possibly come out of your pain? When it comes to talking about suffering, there's no one better qualified than the apostle Paul.In case you're not familiar with his "qualifications", 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 tells us that he had "worked more harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely and been exposed to death again and again." He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked three times and spent a night and day out in the open sea. And all for what?
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 gives us insight into the reason we suffer and what good it can do:
1) We receive comfort - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles...(v.3-4a) Many people think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away. But if that were always so, people would turn to God only out of a desire to be relieved of pain and not out of love for Him.
God does not shelter people from trials and suffering, not even gifted apostles who are doing His will. We must understand that being comforted can also mean receiving strength, encouragement and hope to deal with our troubles. The more we suffer, the more comfort God gives us!
2) We return comfort - ... so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (v.4b). God's comfort is not given; it is loaned, and we are responsible to pass it along to others. The pain you experience now will help you encourage others in their trials.
God never wastes a hurt! He allows you to experience certain things so that you are equipped to understand and explain the comfort He gives you during the darkest days. If you fail to share God's comfort with others, your experience in the furnace will be wasted; and it is a tragic thing to waste your sufferings!
3) We gain character - If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same
sufferings we suffer. (v.6). Not only does suffering draw us closer to God, through His comfort, it also helps us grow in our faith.
God uses suffering to improve His people and shape them into better Christians. In fact, suffering should be thought of as the necessary pain that accompanies spiritual growth and character development! We may not see it at the time we are going through it, but our trials and consequent suffering can have a positive outcome.
Where are you today? Are you in the middle of a storm and desperately looking for comfort from your pain? Reach out and receive God's comfort. He may not remove the problem the way you think is best. Sometimes God calms the storm; sometimes He lets the storm to rage and calms His child!
Have you recently received God's comfort? Then it's time to return it. There is no shortage of hurting people who need a touch from heaven - and you just may be the one God uses to help. Remember, don't waste an experience and don't miss an opportunity to share the source of your comfort with others!
BLOG COMMENT: Can you share how, through a time of suffering and the comfort you received from God and others, turned out to be a great character building experience for you?
Know that your comments here are a great encouragement to other women!
God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters!
- John Henry Jowett
3 comments:
Relating my own experience I hope it will comfort someone who is sick right now or who has lost a loevd one who died in Christ: I have been near death in my life more than once; not expected to make it through a night or another day. I do recall these times as I was in my right mind and there is an unexplainable peace. It is much different than you might think, and the comfort of the Lord Jesus is present.I remember those times now when I am tempted to worry about tomorrows.
God has comforted me, many different times, in my life, but one time comes to mind, when I got on my knees, and poured my heart out to Him...and asked Him for His Strength, to endure...He gave me His Great Peace, immediately...It felt like it poured over me, at that time...my nerves calmed down, and I literally felt a new Strength within me, to go on..He, then took my hand, and "led me through", that trial...Praise!..I now, can relate to others, who are going through similar circumstances, and I have been able to share that experience with them, and to assure them, that if they ask God to help them, He will walk with them "through" their situation, as well...God called us to suffer, in order that we might help someone else, who He brings in our path. We are to Praise Him, in all things, because He turns the bad things, into good, for those who love Him. Also, because, when we go through trials, we are able to have another testimony, to tell of His love, and compassion for our needs.
Sometimes when things come our way or situations appear that we never wanted, God uses them to help us see where we can minister to others in the same areas. But in those moments, we are not happy. Why me?
So, today, consider all the things that Jesus has done in our lives. Honor Him by being a little kinder than necessary. Honor Him by slowing down long enough to say a word of encouragement to someone who may have been where you were at one time. Honor Him by picking up the phone and calling a distant friend, for no reason other than to say, "I'm thinking of you." Honor Jesus by following His commandments and sharing His love, as He did for us.
Psalm 63:2-3 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
Post a Comment