“Comforted To Be Comforting!”

“Comforted To Be Comforting!”(II Cor. 1:3-7).
The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is deserving of our praise. He is “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…”
A lady lost her husband. A friend went to condole and comfort her. She sat close to the bereaved and as the bereaved leaned on her and was weeping, she tried to comfort her, telling her to take heart, be strong and to submit everything to God.
But as the widow kept on weeping, this other lady burst into serious weeping. She wept to the extent that it was now the bereaved widow comforting her.
Comforting those who are in pain does not mean we do not have our own pains. You may not know where the shoe is pinching since you are not the one wearing it. But if you have ever put on a pinching shoe, then you will feel the pain of the person complaining of a pinch in his shoe.
A pastor discouraged his Christians from mourning their dead ones. One day he was returning from an outreach when he saw his Christians gathered in his compound. When he asked to know why they were there, they told him that his sick old mother just died. He fell to the ground, tumbling and wailing loudly. A bold Christian asked why he was misbehaving. He told the Christian that he was not mourning, but that it pained him that he will miss his sweet mother.
We are not suddenly exempted from pain and sorrow because we have become Christians. Our Lord Jesus Christ underwent pain and suffering for our sake. Apart from our own personal suffereings, “the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.”
During his earthly ministry our Lord understood the meaning of pain and the importance of comforting those who mourn by sharing in their sorrows. Jesus shared the grief and pain of Martha with soothing words like, “Your brother will rise again.” And when Martha misunderstood him, he added, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die….” And at the tomb of Lazarus, “Jesus wept.”(Jn.11:17-27&33-36).
Elisha did not hesitate to go and resuscitate the son of the Shunamite woman(II Kgs 4:18-37).
God does not send us out only on sunny days. He sends us out on rainy days as well, but he provides us with shelters when the heavens begin to pour down their own tears (rain).He is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness. He deserves our praises(Ps.86:12-17).
Before his Ascenssion Christ promised us a Comforter who is enabling us, so that through Christ our comfort overflow; despite our own sufferings, pains and sorrows!
Dear friend, you have been comforted to comfort others. Reach out to others in the same measure that the LORD has reached out to you, and with unceasing praise to the LORD!
Sunday prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, let your comfort overflow in me and make me a source of comfort to others. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.