Comforting to the Comfortless

2 Corinthians 1 has been going through my mind for the past few days. So, I figured that I might as well get it off my chest. And perhaps the Lord will use this entry to strengthen someone who is a bit "overwhelmed" or "perplexed" by the state of things in the professing Church, and beyond that, the world.

The passage I'm referring to is 2 Corinthians 1:3-11:

"3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

4who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

5For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

6But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;

7and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.

8For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;

9indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;

10who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,

11you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many."

The Lord allows us to be afflicted because it is His desire that we learn to turn to Him for comfort. Then, in turn, we can minister comfort to one another.

I remember 8 years ago working at a large secular university an hour from here. It is known as a "party college". In fact, even the entire county is known for a wiccan presense. I was a recent convert and felt very outnumbered. And to top it off, I was fighting doubt about my own conversion. It was intense, to say the least.

Then I ran into a student who was coming out of Mormonism. Asking lots of questions. I don't know if he was a covert or not. But as I talked things over with him, the more I noticed that I was repeating things to him that had been said to myself by others. And this verse came to mind.

And maybe this is what is happening now.

Our world is horribly perverse. It doesn't take much to see that. All manner of social issues involving lifestyles, life and death, and on and on. Then, as you see on this blog as well as others, there are issues in the professing Body of Christ.

I can tell you, it's a battle. And if you feel overwhelmed, don't think you are alone. If there is one thing I know from experience, the more you let others know the battles you face, the more you find that others are facing the same battles...only most people look "ok" because they are hiding the struggle. In other words, wearing an "I'm ok" mask. That is unfortunate because by doing that they choose to bear their burden alone and most likely under the illusion that they are the only ones in that battle. Galatians 6:2 says "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." And here in 2 Corinthians 1 we see one way to do that. Through comfort.

I'm here to tell you that you are not alone in your struggle. "There is no temptation overtaken you but such as is common to man..." (2 Cor. 10:13, my paraphrase). In other words, you *ain't* alone!

So, remember that. Also, do what I do. Use that time as an opportunity to trust God. I wake up in the morning with a tremendous amount of stuff going on in my head. I'm very analytical and my mind tends to buzz along at warp 5. So what do I do? I stop and just focus on the Lord and tell Him that I trust Him. Even as the adversary tells me the rapture is coming and I'll be missing my wife and yadda, yadda, yadda, that's what I do.

For a very long time people would ask what my life verse was. And for a very long time, I didn't think I had one. But you know what? I've found that I do have one. Proverbs 3:5,6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Again, this may not be exact, but it'll do. Look it up and read it.

The Christian life is not what the enemy tries to tell us it is -- a walk in the park and "if you don't have it easy, you're not really a Christian". That is a lie. Jesus said that no servant is above his master and the Lord Jesus Christ sure didn't have it easy.

Don't trust your feelings, as real as they seem and as convincing as they are. Remember the facts, then act on them. The Lord is faithful and will honor your faithfulness, no matter how small.

And as I've heard it said, the highest worship is obedience to Him even when it's not prompted by a feeling.

So, I hope this will be an encouragement to someone. I've been a believer for just a bit over 8 years now. I've had to relearn alot as I used to make a false profession of faith years ago. But through it all...all the deprogramming from the old days, etc., I have learned just a little bit more to trust God when the adversary whispers "you've lost".

PDL, PDC? The Gay Agenda? Abortion? As serious as all those things are they are just waves.

Like Peter, we need to learn to keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings to you all.

Tim