2 Cor. 1:3-7
"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 our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."
It is difficult to understand this passage without understanding the context that Paul is in and his worldview on life. In the next passage, he explains to the believers in the church that he is going through an incredible amount of suffering... to the point that he and those with him despair life. He is clear about the fact that his suffering is beyond what he can endure, but read what he says about that... "But this has happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead." He and those with him had no where to turn but to the God of compassion and comfort. Paul even refers to God's intervention of comfort as "gracious favor", which is a clear indication that Paul does not think that God owes him something. Often times we wonder why God allows troubles and distress into our lives as Christians, and many times we think that God is unfair in allowing it, after all we are on His side... right! When we come to a place in our lives where we take on this type of thinking, we miss out on the very reason God allows troubles to come on His people. It is true that God could just intervene and stop troubles from coming at all to His people, but is that really what's best. Think about what we miss out on... troubles or trials produce growth in our lives, they put us in a situation where we can not rely on ourselves but must turn to God, and if there were no troubles we would not experience the compassion and comfort of God. As it is, God does allow these things into our lives, and frankly some of them are too hard for us to bear. So learn from Paul:
1. Understand that troubles will come (they were expected)
2. Troubles provide for us an opportunity to grow
3. Troubles help us experience the compassion and comfort of God
4. The comfort and compassion of God is "gracious favor" - we do not deserve it, but He gives it
5. Do not bear your troubles on your own, run into the arms of Jesus, who understands suffering and can give you divine comfort
2 Cor. 1:3-7
It is difficult to understand this passage without understanding the context that Paul is in and his worldview on life. In the next passage, he explains to the believers in the church that he is going through an incredible amount of suffering... to the point that he and those with him despair life. He is clear about the fact that his suffering is beyond what he can endure, but read what he says about that... "But this has happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead." He and those with him had no where to turn but to the God of compassion and comfort. Paul even refers to God's intervention of comfort as "gracious favor", which is a clear indication that Paul does not think that God owes him something. Often times we wonder why God allows troubles and distress into our lives as Christians, and many times we think that God is unfair in allowing it, after all we are on His side... right! When we come to a place in our lives where we take on this type of thinking, we miss out on the very reason God allows troubles to come on His people. It is true that God could just intervene and stop troubles from coming at all to His people, but is that really what's best. Think about what we miss out on... troubles or trials produce growth in our lives, they put us in a situation where we can not rely on ourselves but must turn to God, and if there were no troubles we would not experience the compassion and comfort of God. As it is, God does allow these things into our lives, and frankly some of them are too hard for us to bear. So learn from Paul:
1. Understand that troubles will come (they were expected)
2. Troubles provide for us an opportunity to grow
3. Troubles help us experience the compassion and comfort of God
4. The comfort and compassion of God is "gracious favor" - we do not deserve it, but He gives it
5. Do not bear your troubles on your own, run into the arms of Jesus, who understands suffering and can give you divine comfort
Comments
Last summer, I heard a speaker talk about how how one reacts during the suffering. Our reactions tend to flow from our place in Christ before the trial. So, we must seek to build up our relationship with the Father during the smooth times, if we desire the right response to come out naturally during the despairing times. And those time will come for all of us.