Comfort One Another

Love One Another, Prefer One Another, Accept One Another, Greet One Another, Encourage One Another, and Comfort One Another. When I think of the word comfort, I think of how we as mom’s comfort our children when they are ill.

May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant. (Psalm 119:76)

Jesus said, in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

James 1:2 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” 

We meet challenges, we suffer hurt, we feel pain. We live in a fallen world, a world where there is disappointment, hurt and pain. Our pain is physical and or emotional.

Comfort’s definition is “to ease the grief or trouble of, to give strength and hope to.”

In my role as a nurse, I have offered a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold when seeing a loved one on a ventilator for the first time. I have offered words of encouragement when a person has cancer and there is not much hope. I have arranged for home health or hospice when a patient needs care from a nurse to help when the family’s needs are overwhelming and the family members are unable to meet the needs of their love one.

In my role at church, I lead women by praying with them through the Steps To Freedom by Neil Anderson.  The act of listening is the best way to comfort the person. Prayer is the tool to counteract the lies a person is believing and prayer is a gift to comfort a person.

Jesus comforted Mary and Martha when their brother Lazarus died. When Jesus saw them weeping, he had empathy and compassion and He wept. Jesus wept because his friends were very sad.

Don McMinn gives five practical ways to comfort one another. One is to learn to sense when people need comfort and be willing and available to minister to them. When someone is hurting, if possible enter her world. Enter her mental and emotional world. Listen. Lastly, when someone needs comfort, avoid unproductive responses such as “I know how you feel.”

We can learn the vocabulary of comfort. “I am so sorry that you are hurting, I hurt for you.” “It saddens me that you’re hurting. I’m sad that you are sad because I love and care for you.” “I know that you’re hurting. I just wanted to come be with you.”

Last night as I was ready to hit the publish button, my computer would not let me send. I closed down the computer and prayed that this blog would not be lost. It was comforting this morning to only have to write this conclusion. As an encouraging person, comforting some one is easy for me but it may not be for you. Today, as we practice loving one another, will you accept the challenge to comfort one another. Blessings

Father God, these one another’s Love One Another, Prefer One Another, Accept One Another, Greet One Another, Encourage One Another, and Comfort One Another were important to place in Your Holy Word. I ask for each one of us reading this that we will be more aware of the person next to us whether it be our spouse, our family member, our friend, or a stranger, may we step out of our comfort zone and offer what is needed to meet the person’s need. Lord open our eyes to this hurting world, sharpen our listening skills, enable us to speak words of encouragement and comfort.

I was reminded of this song this morning on my way to work. Take My Life

1. Take my life and let it be
   Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
   *Take my moments and my days,
   Let them flow in endless praise.
2. Take my hands and let them move
   At the impulse of Thy love.
   Take my feet and let them be
   Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3. Take my voice and let me sing,
   Always, only for my King.
   Take my lips and let them be
   Filled with messages from Thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold,
   Not a mite would I withhold.
   Take my intellect and use
   Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will and make it Thine,
   It shall be no longer mine.
   Take my heart, it is Thine own,
   It shall be Thy royal throne.
6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
   At Thy feet its treasure store.
   Take myself and I will be
   Ever, only, all for Thee.

As we take our lives and give them to Jesus, He will allow us to comfort one another.