Sharing the Wealth

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 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 have received from God.

Andy Stanley describes grace as “added strength” and mercy as “a lightened load.” Edith Schaeffer shares similar thoughts in her book Affliction as she tells us that each of us has a unique role to play in the ongoing battle between Satan and God, for no two people in all of history have experienced the exact same set of circumstances. She encourages us to love and trust God regardless of our circumstances, whether He removes our affliction or proclaims as He did to Paul, “My grace is sufficient.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Charles Spurgeon wrote: There are some of your graces that would never be discovered if it were not for your trials. Do you not know that your faith never looks so grand in summer as it does in winter?. . . Afflictions are often the black foils in which God sets the jewels of His children’s graces to make them shine better. . . . God often takes away our comforts and our privileges in order to make us better Christians.

The last line of the quote from Spurgeon rings true in a personal way for me because it could be talking about my life. There was a season in time many years ago that God did just that, took away my job, home and my sons went to live with their dad all in one swoop. I was devastated and desperate. Then and only then did I finally fall to my knees and hand control of my life over to Him. I was a Christian, I believed Jesus died for my sins, I went to church but I held on tightly to my ‘control’ of my life. I can laugh now as I reflect back on how ignorant and helpless I really was as I floundered in my delusions of control but it was no laughing matter back then. It was a time of great darkness in my life. I had stumbled around in darkness for so long I didn’t even recognize it as darkness because it was all I knew. I can recall with clarity the moment I gave up ‘my control’ and offered it up to Jesus. Actually, ‘offered it up’ is an understatement…if I could have thrown it into Heaven I would have!

I believe God had to remove everything in my life that took my time and attention away from Him in order to prepare me for the role He had in mind for my service to Him. It is said you can’t wipe the tears of another until you have shed tears yourself. I believe it. If you do not know personally know the depth and intensity of agonizing, gut wrenching pain and loss, can you share in your neighbors sorrow or help hold them up as Aaron and Hur held the arms of Moses when he was weak and exhausted? Unless you know that sometimes the hurting only need a set of arms around them because you know that need personally, it is difficult to hold them when they cannot stand alone. I have long believed that hugging is a ministry in and of its self and far outweighs the ‘help’ of words.

Yes, there is a time for words of encouragement, a time to lead them to scripture, and a time to pray with and for them. We can give that support only because God first gave it to us.   

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 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 have received from God.