God of All Comfort

II Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “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, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”  (NIV) Do you notice the two words, “so that?” The reason God comforts us in our time of need is so that when somebody else is hurting, we too can comfort them in their time of suffering. Imagine if we were left alone to comfort ourselves in trouble? Or, imagine if we received this comfort from God but hoarded it for ourselves and refused to give it to others when they needed it most?

It seems that those who hurt the most and have been through the most make the best comforters. It does not take long to see who has had a pretty good life with very few, if any, deep valleys along the way by their reaction when you or someone else is hurting. I suppose that is one reason I consider myself blessed for having been through many, many more deep valleys than the vast majority of people. I am very sensitive to the feelings of others, even if they do not let on they are hurting. It makes me quick to ask, “Are you okay?” or “Can I pray for you?”

I believe this could include giving comfort to those hurting from past mistakes, regrets or sins for which they are now paying the consequences. Though it is never right to condone their bad choices or sinful mistakes, we need to be there for those who matter to us. Do we become angry with an “I told you so” attitude or do we just give them a warm hug and say we love them, pray with them and say we will be there for them?

I have a very dear friend whose son has been in prison for six years. She was heartbroken when he got locked up. One of the first things she told me was that, “I did not raise him that way.” The pain she feels from missing out on the past six years with her son, especially around the holidays, her birthday and at Christmas is very apparent. First time offender and did not even get into any trouble as a kid. As a matter of fact, he was a “great kid, easy-going. Could not have asked for a better kid.” However, she has never made excuses for him or what he did to get put in prison though it has still been difficult for her.

When she told me that almost every one of his friends abandoned him when he got locked up, I told her (who is like my very own sister that I wanted and never had) that I would write to him and send him cards on his birthdays and holidays. I had never met him previously in person, but I feel like I have known him for years because of how much my dear friend has talked about him. My heart went out to him, and I felt compassion for someone I had never met who had made some big mistakes along the way and lost his friends because of those mistakes.

I must say that I feel blessed every time I get a letter from him. From his letters, I can tell that in some way I am encouraging him and making a difference in his life. Besides, I have a very captive audience when I send him a long letter that most people would not even take the time to read if I had mailed it to them. I go on and on with things that I am sure would bore most people to tears, but he is always so grateful for every piece of mail he gets. I have never been in his situation, but I can still reach out in compassion and try to comfort him in a very dark place in his life as one who has received much comfort from God in my dark places. If this draws him closer to the Lord and helps him get through another day, then my letter writing “ministry” was well worth every stroke of the pen.

This is not something I recommend that everyone do, as you can potentially place yourself in a dangerous situation. However, when it is a dear friend who has been there for you and has been like a big sister to you, then you just need to do those things for them. Compassion is a lost art that needs to be brought back again!

I grew up in a home where there was NO compassion and comfort shown. However, I learned this form of art even though I went through a very, very difficult childhood because GOD was my comfort, and in turn, I have been able to comfort and be compassionate towards the hurting by His example to me.

I never met anyone who has changed the world for the better by being uncaring towards the hurting but I have met many people who have changed the world, or at least their corner of the world, by being a comfort to the hurting. Will you change your corner of the world by showing compassion and being a comfort to someone else who needs it, even a stranger? We can bring back the lost art of compassion (and comfort) simply by sharing with others what God has first shown us in our time of need.

Change your part of the world, one person at a time!

Taken from Chapter 10, “Hope Found Amidst a ‘Hopeless’ Situation,” Struck Down, But Not Destroyed