In the introduction to Paul's second letter to the church in Corinth, he writes: "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." (2 Cor 1:3-4).
There is a dynamic union between God and His people that we rarely talk about but the reality is that God has chosen in His divine wisdom to use us, His children, as His instruments of compassion and grace in this world. Jesus has not only redeemed us from our sin, He has also saved us to be His hands and feet. Think of the profundity of that!
God, in His will and design, uses human instruments to enact His grace, to live out His compassion, and to extend His mercy to the weary and downtrodden of this world. This has within it a twofold commandment. Not only are we to depend wholeheartedly upon God alone for our comfort but, even more so, we are to be that comfort for others whom God has placed in our lives.
This is no mean feat, no small task. It takes an incredible amount of courage to be comforted and it takes an equally large degree of bravery to be the comforter. It demands sincerity and vulnerabilty to fulfill this highest form of loving charity: to truly care for those who are careless while recognizing our utter feebleness to care for ourselves.
Yet this is the manner that God has ordained and we would do well to commit in obedience to this call. He desires to comfort the world in the love of Christ Jesus through His people. And praise be to God who has in His good pleasure chosen us to be those vessels of love! Amen!
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