Carriers
Recently, I spoke to some Christian athletes. I asked them how did they normally respond to hardships (torn ACL/ MCL/PCLs, loneliness, being ridiculed for their faith). They responded: fear, anger, “why me?”, self pity, aggression, despair, turning to abusive behavior, apathy, and turning to God. I told them they were carriers – carriers of pain, so they could ultimately be carriers of comfort. Just as I encouraged these athletes, Paul encouraged a group of believers in a town called Corinth.
He reminded them that afflictions were inevitable for the follower of Jesus. Many were being persecuted, imprisoned, and oppressed by unbelievers – all because their relationship with Jesus. But, Paul wanted the Corinthians to know that, in the midst of their trouble, God was their source of divine help. He would come to their side and help them to have godly responses. Then Paul gave two purposes why God allowed suffering: so, they could experience direct and personal comfort from God, and then from that experience, give God’s comfort to others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). God allowed affliction and brought divine comfort so that the Corinthians might have the capacity to enter into another person’s pain, affliction and sorrow and bring comfort to them.
As we experience sufferings, affliction and pain of all kinds – physical, spiritual, emotional – let us remember that God will bring direct and personal divine comfort to us through his word, by the Holy Spirit and through fellow believers. Thus we are CARRIERS of pain, so we can ultimately be CARRIERS of COMFORT – God’s comfort. Sometimes we carry God’s comfort with consoling words and other times words are inadequate and get in the way. Thus, we must carry God’s comfort by the ministry of presence.
We are not comforted by God to be comfortable. Nor are we comforted by God to become consumers and connoisseurs of God’s comfort; we are comforted by God to be comforters. God comforts us so we can be CHANNELS and CARRIERS of COMFORT.
How has this been true of you lately? How can your suffering and God’s comforting you through it, help you empathize with others?
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Tags: Adversity, Comfort, Compassion, Loneliness, Pain, Relationships, Suffering
September 10th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Marvin,
I had never visited you blog. This is outstanding. Thank you for the labor of love that went into this. What a THRILL to see how God is using you and the ministry of Tabernacle.
Rejoicing,
Donna
September 10th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
One way that I am reaching out is trying to comfort others who have been through similar struggles. I started volunteering for a Christian Organization that reaches teen moms. It's been incredible to be a part of that. Mostly it has been encouraging to me when I step out and minister to others out of my experiences and hurts. Amazing how God grows us as He uses our past to grow others!
September 11th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Definitely Christ is glorified in our weakness and struggles. Its hard for us to understand that when we suffer a lose such as a death, home, job, marriage. I know when things happen to me I hurt, get angry. I go through the motions of being human. I know we are to lean on Christ. Its great to know God loves us to ease our soul by allowing someone to call us at the right time or give us something to comfort us. He is using us all to do the work we are to do anyway. I feel that Christ allow things to happen, he is building us up to become better and better. T.D. Jake mentioned how he is preparing us for the next phase in our lives. I hear this all the time, and I know its written that the Lord does not put more on us then we can handle.
September 15th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
Donna, thanks. You are too kind. You and Doug are still two of my favorite people. Thanks for all the encouragement over the years. Grace and peace.
September 16th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
It's not always conforting to suffer for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but the word does say that if we want to reign with him, we must be willing to get to know him personally in the fellowship of his suffering. And I must say that as a called minister of the gospel, I had times of hurt, pain, doubts and fear. And my ministry has be tried my fire according to 1 Cor 3:13, . But through it all; Gods grace&mercy keeps me standing and moving forward in life as well as in ministry. And now God has position me to recieved the fullness of his blessing (Isa.61:7) And I am well able to comfort others whom God sends my way, for truely Ps.66:10-14 is my testimony. God be all the glory. He is worthy to be praise, without him I am nothing, and because of him I have everything, because he is my everything. There is no other God before him, he is the ONE!!
September 16th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Enjoyed your website and may the Grace of God continue in your life as well as your ministry. Be bless man of God!