“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and source of all our comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT.
God’s merciful comfort > all our troubles = our comfort ministry to others who are troubled.
Comfort. It’s not overrated. To be comfortable…
- Rest
- Food
- Shelter
- Health
- Emotional Well Being
- Spiritual Wholeness
I understand tiredness. Exhausted physically from lack of sleep, hard work, or a busy schedule. Eventually, I have the comfort of a bed and rest. There are people who don’t have this privilege.
I only know hunger on a surface level. But I don’t know what it’s like to be deep-down hungry. I have never gone without food for a long period of time. I have access to my go-to comfort foods most of the time. There are people who don’t have this privilege.
I have shelter from the elements. I like to be warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot. We complain about temperature control in our home, in the car, and in a public place. Some too hot…some too cold. A porridge story from Goldilocks and The Three Bears. Rarely, just right. There are people who don’t have this privilege.
The deeper issues of physical illness, emotional stress, and the hardships we face on this earth often throw us out of our comfort zone, head first, or by the seat of our pants. Either end is daunting.
When there seems to be little hope, God is working in our lives—behind the scenes. There will be a curtain call in this life or the next. The Lord God will give us an understanding of our uncomfortable places. And we’ll see what an active role He played in our comfort. Through His comfort, through the comfort from others, and through the comfort we provide to our neighbors.
When we are up against immeasurable odds, in the midst of hopelessness, the strength and comfort of Christ are made perfect.
The Comfort Equation
1. God = our source of all comfort.
2. God’s all encompassing comfort = our hope and strength in times of distress, grief, and pain.
3. Our healing comfort = a ministry as comfort ambassadors.
God-comfort is passed on through us after it has been revealed in us.
Are you God’s comfort ambassador?
