Comfort As He Comforts!

“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 trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3,4 NIV).

While on this journey (life) we have all felt the need to be comforted at one time or another. When we’re unhappy, we need to be comforted; when we’re sad, we need to be comforted, when we feel lost or abandoned, we need to be comforted. For those who know The Lord, we know we can turn to Him–for whatever we need–and it will be provided. And because we know Him, we can reach out to others to comfort them when they need to be comforted–and comfort them–like He comforts us. How do we do that? By showering them with love.

Loving a person means more than just having a “feeling” about someone. When we truly love someone–that love is manifested by our willingness to serve them–in whatever capacity they need to be served. If they need a hug, we hug them. If they need encouragement, we encourage. If they need a shoulder to cry on, we allow them to lean on us and cry. If they need food and shelter, we direct or assist them in achieving a need. If they need a smile, we smile. What does God do? He uses us to serve the needs of others by doing for us, what He wants us to do.

There are a number of people out there in the world today who are fearful, insecure, lonely, desolate and feeling unloved. Won’t you find them–seek them out and find a way to comfort them? Sometimes, just a cup of coffee or tea and a hug makes a world of difference to those who are facing unknown trials and known persecutions. Students are graduating without knowing what’s ahead of them–give them an encouraging word. Soldiers are leaving families to protect other families–assure them you’ll be there for theirs when they need them. Someone just buried a loved one–don’t crowd them right now, but let them know you’ll be there when they need you.

We are not God, but we can do some of the things that He does–never allow anyone to feel alone or abandoned by letting them we’ll be right there and they are never alone. Our most effective witness to others is in how we treat people, not in just having something to say about Jesus. Be a witness today–offer comfort where comfort is needed and when you need it–He’ll be right there in the person of someone else who has learned to comfort like He comforts.

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Why God, Why?

Why does God allow certain things to happen to people?

I seriously do not have an answer for every specific thing that happens to people; only God knows why He does what He does. If I had the answers, I’d never have to be concerned about anything else in life. But then, God wants us to seek Him for answers, and not one another.

A follower on Twitter posed the situation to me:  He said, “My wife had a heart attack and died in front of our year and half baby. Why did God allow that to happen?”

My response to him was this: I don’t know why God allows things to happen to people. My brother was killed by my mother and I suffered from the event, but the same event brought me into relationship with God and now–not only can I have joy in my life, but I can encourage others. God knows what He’s doing and all things will work out for our good. Just trust Him!

While some may not agree with my response, I know without a doubt that it was the best response I could give Him. All too often many try to explain why God does things when they don’t know any more than anyone else. God is God. He doesn’t have to explain Himself to us and He certainly does not need our permission to do anything.

However, there are some things in life that we do to ourselves that bring about certain consequences. If we are not conscious about our physical health and how we treat our bodies, we put ourselves into position to suffer the consequences of–heart attack, stroke, diabetes, certain cancers, etc. If we are not conscious of how we treat others, we will suffer the consequences of depression, loneliness, and other mental illnesses. Drug abuse, alcohol abuse, tobacco use, lack of exercise, overeating, unprotected sexual activity, and just plain meanness can create situations that cause us harm and could lead to death. Let’s face it, if we would simply read and understand The Word, follow the instructions, and know God’s voice and obey, we could avoid a lot of negative stuff occurring in our lives. It’s all in there–we just need to know what “it” is and live to the glory of God!

Father, in the name of Jesus, give us understanding of how to treat our bodies–the temple where Holy Spirit lives and how to live to Your glory. Comfort the hearts of those who have lost loved ones and guide them in their grief to You, as only You can. Pour onto us Your wisdom so we may encourage one another to endure to the end and finish this race, in life.