2 Corinthians 1:3-5
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”
Comfort is a bit like the Gospel, it’s not something you receive to keep to yourself. When we hear the Gospel and receive what it offers, we then have the joy and responsibility to share it with others. The same is true with comfort. When we are afflicted, the Lord comforts us, we are comforted and receive strength in the midst of the affliction. We are then equipped to comfort others in their need.
We can only truly comfort someone if we have been afflicted ourselves, this brings a depth of understanding to relate to another who is suffering. Of course there are varying degrees of suffering and affliction.
Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 1 about sharing abundantly in comfort if we have indeed shared abundantly in His sufferings. Paul also talks of sharing in the fellowship of His sufferings in Philippians 3:10.
The reality is, that there would be no need for comfort unless one is suffering or has suffered to some degree. Comfort eases or alleviates a person’s pain and suffering. This is what God does with us. We have experienced God’s comfort in our suffering in the last 21 months. This puts us in a situation where we too can help those in a similar situation. God doesn’t just allow us to suffer affliction for no reason. He uses our pain, He uses our circumstances so that we can offer a hand to others.
“Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; break forth in song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, and He will have compassion on His afflicted ones.”
"I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid of mortal man, of a son of man who withers like grass?”
God promises to comfort His people when in affliction. Affliction isn’t something we should look for but more often than not as Christ followers it will come looking for us. Paul alludes to this when he says ‘For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings’. If we are truly following Christ, suffering and persecution follows.
2 Tim 3:12
“Indeed, all who delight in pursuing righteousness and are determined to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be hunted and persecuted [because of their faith].”
For us personally we may not be suffering because of our faith, but because of our son’s accident - suffering nonetheless. God still promises to bring comfort whatever the root cause of our suffering. Suffering may stem from an adversary who is out to destroy us because of our faith.
John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Whatever the cause of our suffering, pain, grief, let’s be confident that God will not leave us in the suffering. He comes alongside with His comfort.
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.” John 15:26
The Holy Spirit is called the comforter or helper (parakletos) in the scriptures. He’s the one who comes to our side and helps and comforts us in affliction.
We have this Holy Spirit living within us as Jesus followers and so we are able to comfort others with His comfort that we have received. If you have been comforted with God’s comfort then He will enable you to share that same comfort with others. Let’s all be open to that in the coming days.
What really struck me in the opening scripture 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 is the word ‘abundantly’
“For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”
Abundance is having more than we need. None of us need or want suffering at all. We certainly feel that we’ve had our share of suffering, we’ve had it in abundance. But the positive side of that is God promises to abundantly give us His comfort and it’s this that enables us to comfort others who suffer.
Prayer - Dear Lord, thank you that as we suffer, at the same time we receive your comfort. Therefore may we be ever ready to share with others that which we have received from you. Amen
Nothing is wasted in the economy of God and we all go through things that may be useful in enabling us to minister to one another as the body of Christ