Comforted to Comfort

When we think of trouble and suffering, words like “comfort” and “joy” don’t come to mind. It makes me think about the word problems we had in school where we would have to circle the word that didn’t belong in the group. The words “suffering” and “comfort” can be associated with each other because God promises to comfort us when we are suffering or going through tough times. Isaiah 66:13 says “As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”  When I was a little girl, when ever I would get hurt while playing, it always seemed better when I would ask my Big Mama to kiss it. God promises to do the same for us in Isaiah 66:13. No matter what the situation is, we can rest assured that God will be there to make us feel better about what ever it is we are going through.

The comfort we receive during our tough times isn’t just for us to keep in a box and pull out whenever we need a trip down memory lane. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says “who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” We receive comfort from the Lord so that we can comfort others when they are having trouble. Just as we receive love and forgiveness from Christ and pass it to others, we pass comfort as well. You know the old saying “blessed to be a blessing”? Well, this is one way we are blessed and can be a blessing.

When reading the Old Testament the other day, I read how God instructed the Israelites to remember when they were hungry and He fed them with manna. God told them to remember so they could tell their children and the generations to come how they were taken care of while in the wilderness. We don’t go through tough times just because. 2 Corinthians 1:6 says “Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation.” When God comforts us during our troubles, we are to remember it and share it with others. In a post called “Share Your Testimony” I encourage sharing the things that God has brought us out of so that others can overcome their troubles.

More often than not, we don’t think about the impact our testimony will have on others while we are going through the troubles. But, thinking about how others will be blessed can help us get through the tough times. It not only takes our minds off of what we are going through, it gives us something to thank God for as well. James 1:2 says to count it all joy when we are going through trials. If we can’t rejoice in anything else, we can rejoice in the fact that someone else will receive deliverance from their mess once we use our messes as our messages. Let’s not be selfish with the comfort we  receive from the Lord. Be comforted to be a comfort.

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