Monday, April 25, 2016

In the Face of Troubles



 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
1 Corinthians 1:3-4

Do you face troubles?  Are there some things in your life right now that you wish weren’t there?  Maybe they are health issues, you are not as healthy as you once were.  You have some things going on that you’re seeking treatment for, and praying that God will take it away.  Perhaps you have some financial burdens, it seems our expenses keep rising faster than our income.  Perhaps you have another trouble in your life that is causing a great deal of frustration, even grief, but you can’t seem to get by it.

Whatever the trouble, anxiety, or grief may be, 1 Corinthians 1:3-4 can help us through.  We can see three things from this passage that can be helpful.  First we see that God is God, and He is someone to be praised.  “Praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  We can praise God in our trouble, we can look to Him for help.  Because He is truly the Father of Compassion.  

Next we see that God is also the God of all comfort.  Whatever our trouble, there is comfort from the Lord that can help us through that trouble.  In fact, this passage contains a promise that in Him, we will find comfort in all our troubles.  No matter what the trouble, no matter the cause of our stress and anxiety, we can find comfort from God.  God will not turn His back on us in our times of trouble.  We may turn our backs on God, but God will always be with us in our troubles, offering the compassion and comfort we most need.

Finally, we get a glimpse of a possible reason God might have allowed this trouble into our lives.  He comforts us in all troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we receive from God.  Why is this trouble in our life?  Perhaps it’s so that you may learn empathy for others going through the same or similar troubles as yourself.  Perhaps so that you can reach out in compassion to others suffering the same way you have.  

Who better to talk to single moms, than another single mom?  Who better to talk to someone who has gone through the loss of a loved one, than someone who has lost a loved one?  Who better to talk to someone battling cancer than someone who has won the battle themselves?

The things that you have gone through, while difficult, have prepared you to talk to others in ways that few others can.  And God wants to use that to bring comfort to others, and to bring others to Himself. 

What is the Church?

The Apostle Paul would whole-heartedly answer that question as the Body of Christ.   And I think that all of us would agree with him But ...