When you suffer, don’t look inward; look outward because you never know – your pain can bring comfort, hope, and salvation to someone else.
Share this program with a friend or family member at www.joniradio.org!
SHAUNA: Welcome to Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. And here’s Joni with a good word from 2 Corinthians 1.
JONI: And here’s that good word for you starting in verse 5, “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 that 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.”
Now let me unpack that for a minute, because the apostle is saying that if you go through a distressing time, don’t look inward; look outward because it’s for someone else’s salvation. And if you experience comfort from God in the middle of some disappointment or heartache, again, don’t look inward; look outward because you need to pass that comfort onto someone else who really needs help.
Let me give you an example of this. My friend, Megan, was in and out of hospitals constantly before the Lord finally took her home, releasing her from a very painful disease. Now in her remaining months, no one would have blamed Megan had she sequestered herself away and looked inward. But Megan was a 2 Corinthians 1 kind of woman, and she decided to use her remaining time on earth to pass on to others the many ways she was experiencing God’s help and encouragement. In fact, her life was lived so outwardly that she found her condition was made more bearable because she was able to make her testimony real toward her doctors and her nurses.
There was Christie, the transplant nurse, who was coolheaded in the operating room but coldhearted about spiritual things. That is, until she met Megan. And there was Marge at the nurses’ station who constantly whined about the hospital pay scale and new regulations. But her whining ceased when she became friends with Megan. Then there was Carmen, the Hispanic nurse’s aide who emptied trash cans and changed Megan’s linens. Carmen did not see her role in the hospital hallways as all that important, until Megan started warmly reaching out to her. Carmen felt so honored and started listening to this dying woman’s testimony. Others going through menopause or midlife crisis began to see their problems fade, once they spent time with my friend Megan. Eventually Megan became completely blind and unable to do anything physically. But even when she went into hospice, she did not have to worry about feeling useless or having no purpose for living. All because she knew that her suffering was for the comfort and encouragement of the salvation of others. She did not live inward. She continued to live outward.
Friend, if you are distressed today, think about it. It is for the salvation of someone else. If you are suffering, it has a bearing on whether or not those who, even at a distance, witness your perseverance and become a Christian. God longs to invite unbelievers [and a few vacillating believers] to examine the foundations of your faith. So, do you live inwardly when you are suffering? Or do you live outwardly? Is your focus on others? Are you reaching out? Your witness—is it as bold as the claims upon which your faith rests? And when others see you pass on God’s encouragement and comfort, it should make the toughest skeptics think twice about God. So, how about living outwardly right now? How about it?
SHAUNA: Thank you, Joni. Friend, this is such an important message. Why not pass on this encouragement and share today’s program with your friends? After all, it’s the Megan thing to do—it’s the 2 Corinthians 1 thing to do. So, go to joniradio.org today where you can hear this program again and share it with someone you love. That’s a great way to start living outwardly!
© Joni and Friends