Source Of All Comfort

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

Think back to the last time you were truly uncomfortable. Perhaps you are experiencing discomfort right now. I imagine you are just like me. You, too, long for freedom from your distress as quickly as possible.

When I am uncomfortable, I want the pain to stop hurting my heart and my body. As I’ve said before, if I had to choose, I would take physical pain over emotional pain. I would rather lose a breast than a child; I cannot even imagine that kind of emotional pain.

But the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) does more than just imagine our pain; He enters into it with us. There is not one thing that we feel that the God of all comfort has not felt first. “Since [Jesus] himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested” (Hebrews 2:18).

I take great comfort in the truth of today’s verse. When I try to ease someone’s burden, I send Band-Aid notes to people who are hurting. I always feel inadequate to know what to say. My heart hurts for them, but I realize that I cannot make their pain go away. However, I know for a fact that God will comfort them in ways that only He can, and He can use even my simple steps to comfort my hurting friends more deeply than I can.

One way to partner with God in offering His comfort is to pray for others every time God brings them to mind. (I am thinking today of Sweet Nancy, who has test results coming today.) We can also take them a meal, offer to run an errand, or let someone know they are loved with a hug. Once a sweet neighbor, Judy, brought me a package of chocolate-covered strawberries from the produce section of the “healthy” store. They were so beautiful and so tasty. Her sweet gift touched me so much that I went to the same store to purchase the same gift for someone else who was suffering, to let her know she was loved.

Let God comfort you today through His Word, and use it to share someone else’s burden too! Continue to sow sweet.