Comforting Others

 
We moved to our current home a year ago. Since then, ‘normal’ days have almost vanished. For someone who likes routine and predictability, this has been a trial. As a friend says, being at home doing regular tasks seems a myth.

Yesterday was planned to be like that, but we got a call from someone who was in shock. She has a super job, but her boss is moving to a new location. He expected she would go too, but it means another hour added to her already long commute. She decided not, but that decision stings and is certainly on our prayer list. 

This morning I read this verse: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted…” (Isaiah 61:1) It points to Jesus, and since I’m to be like Jesus, my heart goes out to those who experience heartbreak. But how? Some are too far away to even hug. 

Then another few words from another source. I’m not to put the focus on me, but they encourage me that God is tenaciously at work in changing me to make me more like Jesus.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

The difference between the wonder of Jesus and my sense of being ignorant and useless can be overwhelming at times. I don’t think like Him or make choices like Him. I could never save myself, nor do I know how to be like Him even to “bind up the brokenhearted” no matter how much I want to help those who suffer.

I noticed just now that my Bible app did an automatic update. If it didn’t spell this out on screen, I would not know it happened; the process is quiet and without any interruptions. It occurs to me that this could resemble what God is doing. His work of change is not like bolts of lightning, but more like the dawn, like light slowly coming on and changing the dark of night to vision and the ability to do what cannot be otherwise done.

That means that my God of peace works to make me what He wants of me even using the interruptions and frustrations of life. This is what suffering is supposed to do. . . .  

For it was fitting that (the Lord), for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. (Hebrews 2:10)
For because (Jesus) himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:18)
Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. (Hebrews 5:8)

And with that, He is showing me that trusting Him to use the changes in life to make me more like Himself is my comfort in all the interruptions and changes of each day. Wasn’t His life like that too? 
Heaven is not full of ups and downs, but for Jesus and for all of us, this world is not heaven. We may long for its perfections but in the lack of them, He wants me to learn how to cope so I can be a comfort to others who experience the hurts and surprises of life. Thank You for being the One…

who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:4)

PRAY: Jesus, You are at work to free every part of me from the effects and effects of sin and are not anxious about the process. You just love me and gently use life to move my heart to be like Your heart. My life is hidden in You, not to boast in me, but in You. And when others hear about Your goodness, they feel the same comfort in knowing that You use all things for our good, to make us more like You. (Romans 8:28-29) This answers the cry of my heart too — for now I know what will comfort others.