Wednesday, November 16, 2011
November 16
“What do we mean by the comfort God gives?....is it an honest and genuine comfort that enfolds life’s trials and pains in an all-embracing peace? With all my heart I believe it is...” Hannah Whitall Smith, God is Enough, 10/27
The words “comfort” and “comfortable” don’t hold the same meanings for me even though the dictionary would beg to differ. When I think of being comfortable I think “free from any bother” whether it be mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual. In fact it conjures up images of being lazy---how many times have I’ve gotten comfortable with the way something was to the point of not bothering to do what needed to be done? So when I hear words like “comfort” connected with God I don’t always let the real meaning of the word sink in. What I’m learning is that it is OK to be comfortable in the midst of the hard places in life if God is the source of your comfort. When He isn’t the source, then it means you’ve gone outside His will to find your comfort. This will always backfire. It is a temporary comfort that serves to lull you into complacency. This reminder is not only a comfort to me, but also will be a source of compassion when I see others attempting to make themselves comfortable in difficult circumstances. Rather than be angry with them for seemingly ignoring their problems, instead I will pray that they will turn to God instead to receive their comfort.
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"This reminder is not only a comfort to me, but also will be a source of compassion when I see others attempting to make themselves comfortable in difficult circumstances. Rather than be angry with them for seemingly ignoring their problems, instead I will pray that they will turn to God instead to receive their comfort."
ReplyDeleteHow do we know the comfort we see in others isn't from God? What we view as ignoring may in fact be them letting go of the problem to God. Sometimes God's answer to prayer is to do nothing.
My caveat is "when you see others attempting to make themselves comfortable". You are correct in that God sometimes wants us to do nothing! But it's obvious when people are just ignoring vs. abiding. They will not exhibit a true peace--the kind that passes all understanding.
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