Our role as Christians in the world during a difficult time
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (NLT)
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All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all 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.
For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation!
For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.
Reflect
We Christians serve a God who is very much concerned about us when we go through difficulties. The apostle Paul is a great example of this. He is someone who knew suffering all too well (See 2 Corinthians 11:23-27). In saying this, there is no doubt that God has comforted Paul with what he went through. Paul recognised the fact that the sufferings he went through had a purpose: so that he could comfort those in trouble with the same comfort that he himself received from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
This is very much applicable to us Christians today as we go through hard times. There is no escaping suffering if you are in this world. The Lord Jesus himself also suffered greatly when he died on the cross for our sins.
Paul has mentioned in a previous letter that Christians are to follow him as he follows Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). He has set us an example that we should follow when it comes to our suffering. Firstly, we need to get our comfort through the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:5). Secondly, we need to comfort others with this same comfort that we received from God.
Have you been comforted by God through your trouble? Then use what you’ve gone through to comfort others going through a difficult time (with the same comfort that you’ve received from God). If you are going through a difficult time right now, look to the God of all comfort and to his Son Jesus who died for your sins and rose again. Find your comfort in him and you’ll realise that he is enough.
Pray
Father God of heaven and earth, I need you through the sufferings that I go through in life. Please help me also to be able to comfort others with the comfort that you show me through the Lord Jesus Christ. In his name I pray, amen.
