Encouragement in Times of Trouble

Recently, we had a health scare. My wife was diagnosed with Melanoma. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a form of skin cancer. We went to the dermatologist and they said everything was fine, but we needed to go see an oncologist.  Nobody ever wants to hear those words.  We get out to our car to leave the dermatologist and my wife completely breaks down.  How on earth can somebody this young have to deal with an oncologist?

It just so happened that morning I was reading in 2 Corinthians.  It talks about comfort:

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. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

This part really stuck out to me: … 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.  Not only will our troubles produce in us character (Romans 5:3-4), but what we go through gives us a unique insight and ability to comfort others who are going through the same thing!

What are you going through today?  What are you dealing with that has got you discouraged?  Relationships, finances, health, job, whatever it might be, remember that when you come out on the other side, you will be in a unique position to comfort those going through the same things you just went through.  You will have the ability to show God’s comfort in a way nobody else can.

Be encouraged today.  God is doing a work in you.  And when you come out of the trouble you are in, you will be an amazing comfort to those God brings your way!

And to finish the story … The oncologist told my wife she has nothing to worry about.  All the cancer had been removed and she has a clean bill of health!