When God comforts you in your struggles, He calls you to pass that courage and strength on to others, helping them endure with Christ’s hope.
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SHAUNA: This is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Today Joni asks, how do you comfort someone?
JONI: Now, I realize it’s an odd question, because we all know what comfort feels like. You’ve been in a heartbreaking, difficult position; you know how it is – you’re anxious, fearful, maybe from a pink slip or a bad medical report, or unexpected news about what your son does with his friends – and it feels awful. But then, out of nowhere, you hear a worship song, or you listen to a sermon, or a friend calls out of the blue; you see a Scripture verse on Pinterest or Instagram, and out of nowhere, you feel the comfort of God. And you would say for certain that His everlasting arms are right there, right underneath you; you can feel His presence. And suddenly, you’re stronger. You’ve got courage. You can move forward. That’s what comfort does, and it feels wonderful. But how do you pass it on to someone who’s hurting? How do you give comfort?
Because when God comforts you in your troubles, you are responsible for passing it on. Like, when God encourages me in this wheelchair, it is a signal that I need to pass that blessing on to someone else who’s hurting. But I can’t just sympathize with their hard times; and I can’t empathize either. I can’t just feel for them; I’ve got to give the kind of comfort that helps my friend endure; that helps him be strong and persevere. We best comfort others when we pour courage into their hearts; when we enable them to deal with their sorrows realistically, helping them pass through those tough times with confidence in Christ. Why is all this so important? Because this is the way that Jesus Christ comforts us. He does not merely feel for us when we hurt; He does not only empathize. As JR Miller once wrote, “God does not merely sit down beside troubled people and feel for them. No, He sits down beside us to make us strong to endure.” And, friend, that’s the whole point behind comfort. It’s the way God comforts. Empathizing, yes; but also making us brave. Sympathizing, yes; but all to the end that we find our courage. “I can do this. I can make it through. I’m not going to collapse because I know I can go on. And I can do it through the courage and comfort of Christ.”
Friend when you comfort someone else like that, you’re giving what 2 Corinthians 1:4 talks all about, “[For God] 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.” And you know that’s the courage to endure; that’s the strength to keep moving forward. That’s God’s kind of courage. And this Christmas, I hope you will give that to someone who’s struggling. Like, I know a lot of boys and girls with disabilities in impoverished countries who need that kind of courage and strength. And this Christmas you can give them comfort and courage through the perfect gift of a Bible, the Gospel, and the gift of a child-sized wheelchair.
SHAUNA: Oh, friend, you’re laying up treasure for yourself as you join us in passing blessings on to needy children struggling with disability around the world. Go to joniradio.org and give the gift of a wheelchair today. Just imagine the joy you’ll be sharing with a disabled child who’d give anything to be lifted up out of the dirt and placed in a seat of dignity. And friend, remember that you can hear this program again at joniradio.org. and while you’re there, be sure to leave us your prayer requests. God bless you today, and thanks for listening to Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope!
© Joni and Friends