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 ourselves are comforted by God."
It's been an amazing providential work of God that He put three women in my life over the last month or so who have come to me to share how crazy emotional they've been lately. They expounded on the circumstances they faced. They were rightly emotional. Lots of tears followed a flood of sadness and longing. None of them had experienced chaos, loss, and hurt from various circumstances that came back to back. Each lady was confused, frustrated, and even disappointed that they couldn't understand why. They were hoping to see some bigger purpose coming from these circumstances.
The first thing necessary and where possible was offering a hug of compassion to each lady. For one lady, that hug had to be communicated by words because we are States apart. These women, all young in their faith, had never heard of James' words, "My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." For whatever reason, God had placed a hedge around their lives that did not allow multiple trials to be faced in a short period.
Some people turn their faith toward God's Son because crushing circumstances have devasted them. Others face tumultuous circumstances soon after they turn their lives over to King Jesus. Then some come to faith in Jesus, and life is smooth for years, with a bump here or a dip there, quickly fixed before ever facing hit after hit of life, turning them upside down. For the latter, passages such as James or First Peter 4:12, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you," are glossed over. Sometimes, it is not until we live out God's Word that it becomes a part of our DNA. This is one reason we meditate and store it up, living it out as much as possible so when the storm comes, our roots are already deep. When the winds blow and the rains come, they go deeper still.
Back to my beautiful young sisters in Christ. they, like me, were of the third category of believers. We walked our Christian lives without too much to deepen our faith other than reading God's Word and learning from others. When "a fiery trial comes upon you (each) to test you (her)," confusion and chaos came with it. The ladies put more of their focus on the emotions of it all. They then looked to be a martyr and figured something bigger would happen in their lives because of what they were going through. It had to be explained when James and Peter communicated what they faced came to test them. While the circumstances are never easy or simple, they test us, and that is the easy and simple answer.
What is the testing for? There are various reasons Scripture gives. Especially when we read the Old Testament and how God explained His testing of Israel, I will use a favorite Scripture quoted by almost all Christians. Romans 8:28: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.... 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son." The first reason we are tested to lose more of our image and gain more of His. John the Baptist says, "He must increase, but I must decrease."
In Romans 8, Paul also says, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." We are tested second because we will share in Jesus' glory. He won't offer that to untested children. Now, these are didactic. They come across as lacking empathy and compassion. For this reason, the word also shares the compassion that is given by God to those who are hurting. While He causes us to decrease, that His glory shared will increase in us.
Knowing we are not alone while God shapes our lives through difficulties helps us experience His presence. First, He is with us. Psalm 34:18-19 says, "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." I told these ladies that as they fix their eyes on Jesus, they will see that God does not miss their tears. They can offer their emotions to God. While emotions cannot lead their actions, Scripture must; their emotions are a by-product of their circumstances. They are not enemies unless we allow them to guide us. We have emotions because we share in the image of God. Emotions are a gift to each man and woman.
Second, we can look back at the passage in 2 Corinthians 1 that I quoted as this blog began. It tells us that we are not alone. Others have gone before in painful situations and can offer the arms of Jesus in understanding what others' paths look like and might look like as a trial lingers. Folks don't need to have gone through the same trial to understand how to empathize with the hurting. We need to understand hurt, have experienced the love of God through it, matured in faith by it, and you qualify to walk with others through theirs. Some of the lady's experiences I had never been through. Yet, I knew God's Word, had experienced so much pain and disappointment, and am now a vessel to be used to bring His comfort to each.
They will wrestle through differently than I did or from each other, but as long as the character of Jesus being formed in them reveals God's glory through them, nothing is wasted. God misses no pain, emotion, or tears. They are an opportunity for us to comfort others so they know they are not alone.
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