Comfort One Another

At some point on our journey of grief, we will begin to feel better. This healing will certainly be experienced in different ways and at different times for different people. Some of us will not cry as much, angry thoughts might disappear, others will be able to laugh again, and some will even find that their memories of their loved one have become more sweet than bitter. We might even begin to give comfort to others in their loss. This seems to be God’s design for grieving people.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor 1: 3-4)

As God comforts us, we are to comfort others. Paul Tripp states that we who have been confronted with death and then comforted by God should not become just “...containers of comfort, but conduits of comfort.” As we experience the healing that comes from God alone, we should look around at the misery in this world and attempt to alleviate the sufferings of others with the comfort we have received. As weak as we may feel, Jesus calls upon us to minister His comfort to others. This is all so mysterious to us, but God has ordained that frail people are to be His healing hands to a hurting world.

And how is this done? A few verses after the above passage Paul recounts some of his own afflictions, and states that this was God’s purpose for them:

“That was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” (v. 9)

Isn’t this the greatest comfort that we can give others who are feeling pain and misery? We can attest to the fact that in our own despair we have learned not to rely on ourselves (have we been able to help ourselves? probably not...) but on God alone who freely and generously relieves our sorrows and burdens. He is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

The ultimate encouragement, of course, is that God will raise the dead. Those who have died and gone before us will one day welcome us into the gates of Heaven. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Be still, my soul: the hour is hast’ning on

When we shall be forever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,

all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.”