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 have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.(2 Cor. 1:3-5)
Are you in ministry?
To me this passage means that our life is intended to be a ministry and our sorrows are our credentials. Someday, somewhere, perhaps when you least expect it, someone will cross your path; someone who is experiencing the very same difficulty you yourself have experienced. The comfort you received during your time of affliction, and the lessons you gained, are now yours to pass along.
No one else is in as good a position to minister, because only you "know what it's like." Having survived their ordeal you have two powerful tools for ministry; credibility and perspective.
Two recent experiences led me to write this message today. They both bear testimony to the truth of 2 Corinthians 1:3-5; one a success and the other a failure.
First the success
At lunch today a friend asked me what I was writing about this week. I identified two possibilities, and told him the one I preferred was frustrating me because I hadn't found a way to put it into the proper context. "Tell me about it," he said. He knew that events in my recent past have affected me profoundly, and having endured the same kind of difficulty, he had asked me to lunch to offer his support. He concluded that getting me to talk about my writing would be helpful, and so it was. As I told the story, the scripture above came suddenly and clearly to mind. It was the missing piece I needed to finally grasp the context. I stopped to thank the Lord and him, and for a moment we both got a little misty as we acknowledged the Lord's involvement in our conversation.
And Now the Failure
The failure concerns the story I was telling my friend. It began like this. Last week a client's management team and I were wrestling with a huge financing issue that had us all stumped until the Lord brought the solution into my mind. That evening, as I thanked Him and once again marveled at His interest in such things, He reminded me of an instance when I had missed a HUGE opportunity to comfort someone in need. I think He was saying, "I am always looking out for you, but you're not always paying attention."(This is not unique to me by the way; see Romans 8:28)
A Blast From the Past
25 years ago, my family's business was in real trouble; so much so that we had to sell it fast and cheap to avoid losing everything. (We had already lost a lot.) It was a well-known business and the whole community knew what had happened.
A short time later, while talking with an acquaintance, I discovered he was having similar business problems. As we talked, he asked me how I had gotten through it. But I blew him off. I stuck to my story (protecting my pride) that we had simply sold the business and had actually made out quite well. We both knew I was lying but I ignored the look of disappointment on his face. I chose not to see that he desperately needed someone to talk to, someone who understood and could help him through his time of trouble.
Shortly thereafter, the business closed and he and his partner suffered a huge loss. I never thought about it again until last week when the Lord reminded me of the opportunity I had missed. Remember this; the Lord doesn't miss opportunities. It's only we who miss out when we decline to participate. Some one else comforted that young man. Someone else gave him the courage to accept his losses and start over. I don't know if that person became a life long friend like I could have, but I do know the name of the man I failed to comfort with the comfort I had received. You know it too. It's Tommy Hilfiger, the now famous fashion designer.
Pride goeth Before the Fall
My pride prevented me from seizing the opportunity for ministry the Lord had placed before me, and for which I was uniquely prepared. My pride deprived me of a friendship that could have had a profound impact on both our lives.
And so to Phil I say thanks for listening at lunch today, I owe you one. To Tommy I say please forgive me for not listening when you needed me. I'm glad someone else was more considerate. And to the Lord I say thanks for bringing me the lesson.
