2 Corinthians 1:3-5 – “3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
The belief that God is a “God of all comfort” is an essential truth that every believer must embrace when life’s journey leads us through the valley. In our scripture today God calls us to do two things with this essential truth. First, God wants us to apply this truth in our own lives by letting Him into the deepest parts of our being to be comforted personally by Him. Second, God wants us to serve others with the same “comfort we ourselves have received from God”. Notice the so that in verse four. God is comforting us not merely to benefit us, although that is certainly true, but with the intention that we will serve His people with the same comfort that we have received from the Father of compassion. In essence we are called to give it away! Notice that there is a correlation between the areas of your life that you allow God in to comfort and the type of comfort that you can give away. Is there an area in your life that needs comfort that you have not allowed God into?
Every Sunday my Senior Pastor Lon Solomon makes theology both personal and practical by asking his famous question “So What”? Throughout the Washington D.C. area, our Mclean Bible Church brothers and sisters are making this theology of comfort personal and practical as they serve the Lord in their own “So That” ministry. Their ministry is an outgrowth of the comfort that they have personally received from God while in the midst of the valley experiences of their own lives. For instance, we have couples who have experienced hope and healing in their marriage whom now have chosen marriage mentoring as their “so that” ministry. We have other couples who have experienced the comfort of God through the touch of a community of saints who now serve as small group or community group leaders. What is your “So That” ministry?
When are you going to start? If not now, when?
Our “So That” ministry is our most personal ministry and one that can have the greatest impact for the Kingdom. I call it the ministry that we never prayed for because I do not know anyone who prayed for addiction, prayed for abuse, prayed for a husband, wife, or child to leave this earth before we were ready. What you allow God to do with these areas of pain and how far you let Him into the pain will determine if you are a space taker or a difference maker in this world.
Prayer: Lord Jesus thank you so much for sending me the Comforter when you went to be with the Father; for you knew in this life that is exactly what I would need. Father, I ask your forgiveness for and seek your comfort in ____________________. Give me the strength to serve your people with the same comfort that I have received from you.
Until He Returns,
Peter P. Lackey, Jr.
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