IS SHARING COMFORT YOUR MISSION?
“. . . As the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” (2 Corinthians 1:5)
In his second letter to the church in Corinth, together with Timothy, Paul writes of the hardships they faced in Asia. (2 Corinthians 1:8-10) So, we learn that it is possible to evade a multitude of sorrows by diligently practicing the word of God. God’s word conquers and comforts. During the struggles in our personal life, it is God’s peace that comes to our aid.
During His life on earth, Jesus Christ came with an all absorbing, redemptive purpose which opened the door to endless suffering. You can ask yourself, who is better qualified to work for peace than those who have experienced God’s peace themselves? Experience is a great teacher. During their time of trouble, Paul and Timothy received encouragement, and their confidence was built up. Their hope was anchored in God’s unfailing power to rescue. They were humbly able to boast of God’s grace with simplicity and godly sincerity. (2 Corinthians 1:12 TLV)
Our God is the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement. The encouragement we receive is with a purpose. Christ comforts us – not to simply make us comfortable but to make us comforters – a channel of His peace. It begins at the source: a life at peace with God, forgiven, cleansed and comforted. Notice: At the beginning of this letter, Paul shares the peace he has received from Christ His Lord.
God encourages us in times of heartache and pain so that we may be able to encourage those who are in trouble, through “the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God.” For just as the sufferings of Messiah overflow into us, so also through the Messiah our encouragement overflows. (2 Corinthians 1:4-6)
Following is a story that illustrates this lesson.
Katherine and Nick were empty nesters in Muncy, PA. One summer day, while standing by the open window she wondered if her husband would ever be the same again. That’s when she heard faint sounds escaping from the direction of her husband’s tool shed. Hope rose within her soul only to plummet again, to see Nick sitting looking listless and despondent since the stroke he suffered two years ago. He did not even look up as she passed by.
She went outside to investigate the pathetic cry from the shed. On the floor was a tiny ball of orange fur struggling to detach itself from the lifeless bodies of its siblings. Katherine knelt and carefully took the tiny kitten inside the house. “Look what I found in the shed,” she declared to Nick. He said not a word.
Shortly after, she watched as he shuffled off to the doctor’s office. He still suffered from stiffness and pain. He was a self-employed Master Mechanic. For miles around, people knew there wasn’t anything Nick couldn’t fix. So, the phone would ring for help incessantly. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” Nick would assure them. But the stroke had changed all that because he was unable to wield his tools. Eventually the phone fell silent.
It broke her heart to see him so dejected. She felt there was nothing she could do to help Nick. Then she heard that feeble “mee-aw. . . mee-aw” and decided to do something to at least help this little creature with some milk. When Nick returned, the first words she heard were “How’s the kitten?” Katherine shared words of hope. Nick replied that he had seen a large yellow cat lying dead on the street. So, the kitten had come to stay, and they decided to name her Holly.
One day when Holly went missing there was panic in the household. And when she returned Nick began to pray: “Thank you Lord, for bringing Holly back and for sending this little creature to comfort us in the first place.” Nine years later, at the age of 80, Nick is back at his workbench busily helping the neighbors. He also has a trusted companion to oversee his labors. How wonderfully this orphaned kitten has brought comfort into the lives of Katherine and Nick and made them a channel of comfort to others!