Christ’s Comfort Chain // 2 Corinthians 1:4

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV) | 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 receive from God.

People often wonder what to do with the crises they endure. The Scriptures tell us we are to use them to find God’s comfort and then point others suffering similarly to God so they can find it, too. One of the biggest psychological problems we face when we suffer is the feeling of being all alone. We aren’t. God comes alongside us and moves us alongside others who are suffering, too. Your unique experiences position you to relate to someone who fears they are all alone. This is true for recovering addicts, those who overcome relational trouble, the loss of a job, searing grief, or any other kind of problem you can imagine. I remember the first time I sat down with a couple who lost a child after our Mia passed away. Only someone who walked that road could begin to comprehend what they were feeling. It was painful to talk about my own unspeakable grief, but I was able to show them they could keep living, even though life would be forever different. Their experiences could help others find hope beyond grief, and I can tell you lives are being changed by them doing the same and linking up in Christ’s comfort chain. We all have lessons learned from our lowest points that can help someone. God wants you to use those experiences — even the worst problems self-inflicted or visited upon you by someone else — to show there is always hope. After all, Jesus modeled this for us in coming to earth, dying for our sins, and being raised from the grave. So, take hope that if God can bring the dead back to life, He can work wonders in your life regardless how far you fear you fell or failed. Take your life and the reason you have hope seriously and use your unique experienced to point people to Jesus!