Our experiences Are gifts To Share

Tribulation happens in all of our lives as Christ said it would to His followers. God knows our suffering and His gift to us is comfort. When we suffer and are comforted, we are learning how to comfort others as God comforts us. Our tragedies can become great blessings for others, if we imitate our Creator in comforting those around us, who face similar trials.

“Tribulation” is a word that gets our attention, and rightly so. It’s not a pleasant thing to have in one’s life, is it? It evokes words and emotions of affliction, distress, trouble, suffering and sorrow, all of which may be felt in varying degrees. Every one of us experiences such things, just as Christ said would happen. It’s the antidote to these things that is the focus of this article.

For God’s people throughout the ages, including us now, it has been during times of tribulation that God provides a very special blessing or gift, which is simply thecomforting that comes to us from our Father in heaven. In the way that God inspired His care for us when we are in a “tribulation” there is a spiritual principle that is a powerful and empowering element in our individual and collective journey toward the Kingdom of God.

The apostle Paul, a man who endured many tribulations during his long and effective ministry to Jesus Christ and His Church was inspired to write about many of the troubles he faced, and of God’s help to him during those trials. He also wrote of how this principle was learned and shared in the lives of the members of the church during his ministry, resulting in the strengthening of himself, many others and the Church as a whole.

This spiritual principle is clearly stated in 2 Corinthians:1:3-4
: “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 tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we are comforted by God” (emphasis added). Two main points to consider from this passage are (1) as our Father, God knows that one of the blessings that all of us need is to be comforted “in all our tribulation”; and, (2) this gift then becomes a blessing we can share with many others.

The attribute of being a comforter, one who is able to truly extend spiritual comforting and encouragement to others, is descriptive of God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. In fact, the attribute of being a “Comforter” is so closely associated with God’s own character that the Holy Spirit is also called “…another Comforter…” (John:14:16, KJV).

God bless you.