The God of all comfort
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He 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. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 2 Corinthians 1:3-6
The believers in Corinth have been dominated by self-centeredness. This is why the apostle Paul addressed them as babies. “Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1). This matter was what Paul addressed for they have to come to a realization that God wants every Christian to grow in their spiritual life. We have to understand that Christian living is not detached to Christian ministry. And our ministry is to serving others. This is the reason why Paul kept on coming to them so he could minister to them. He was so grounded in his faith that he believed that God allowed him to go through sufferings in life so he could serve others by comforting those who also were to go through or would be going through trials in their lives. God wants us to grow out of our self-centeredness so we could become recipients of the opportunity to minister to others. From the text, Paul emphasized our relationship with others. God in His mercy and grace assured us of His presence so that we will find comfort when we are afflicted. He comforts us so that we can comfort others. Paul addressed God as the Father for He is the only One who could “shower us with his comfort through Christ.” When God ministers to us in times of trials, He is there to help us. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 43:1). As He ministers to us, He also enables us to minister to others. While on this side of the earth, we will always be facing trials but we are not alone confronting them for God is with us. “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others” (2 Corinthians 1:4). This is so in order that all praise is to God.
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
