Blessed are You, God, even the Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies and ther God of all comfort. You comfort me in all my tribulation, that I may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble by the comfort with which I myself am comforted by You. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Pay It Forward. That was the title of a movie with Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt in which a young boy (Haley Joel Osment) comes up with this concept of paying forward to others good deeds that are done to you.
That concept is far from originating in that movie. God came up with it before anyone walked on the earth.
When we're in the middle of grief, God's comfort is the only comfort that will last. And yet He isn't content with our pain subsiding. He then wants us to be instruments of comfort to others around us who are also in need.
In other words, God calls us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to people we come in contact with. Why?
Because He started it with us.
What are your thoughts on this passage?
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My thoughts are there is power when others see Jesus in you whether times are good or not. I looked at some other verses and Romans 1:7-8 talks about the grace and peace that comes with sending the Gospel message out and you don't necessarily have to stand in front of a pulpit of hundreds or thousands to do it. God, YHWH, is the Great I AM! I love the present tense of this because it becomes more personal and not so ancient. Even if you're greiving, God understands and cares. He is there with you just like He was there with me when both of my parents went home to be with the Lord. It was not an easy thing to deal with; however, "Rejoicing comes in the morning"(Psalm 30:5).
ReplyDeleteI feel amazed that the thoughts and feelings I experience and seem to think are indescribable are all documented in the bible! It is an awesome, wonderful, and humbling feeling knowing that I am not alone. I love this passage because I notice that amidst my tribulation, even as I am still feeling the sadness of the sacrifices I make and as I take up my own cross daily next to Jesus, my burdens feel less heavy and are easier to forget once I begin focusing on others and blessing them with the comfort I am blessed with in Jesus. I can never give them the same amount of comfort, but I can watch and pray, love, and support. I think that's what this passage means. I have received an immeasurable amount of grace and peace (even in my sadness), and He has engineered it so that I can still somehow have that comfort in my countenance while ministering to others. I use the word ministering loosely--by no means do I know the full extent to which people view it, but I think all support given with the love of God is ministry. He has given us a gift--it is not a gift to keep and hide! It is to be shared and celebrated...even through bitter tears.
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