The Comfort.

The apostle Paul says multiple times throughout his epistles that he is “the worst of sinners.” Thanks for the humility Paul, but I think I have you beat.
I lie. I cheat. I’m full of doubt, anger, and faithlessness. I am a hypocrite and the worst of sinners.

I was busy being frustrated with God yesterday, and he and I had some pretty heated discussions (these were mostly just me complaining). But I was frustrated. Things weren’t exactly going my way. Maybe you can relate.

I continued these discussions on my way home from seeing Mike Meyers’ The Love Guru with some friends. I was probably saying something along the lines of “God, what the heck? Why is like this? What do you think you’re doing?”
It was at this exact moment that I rounded a curve and saw the waning moon. . . a day or two past full. It was as big as I’ve ever seen it. And it was a bright orange. Incredible majestic. God slapped me in the face. “Do you see how great I am? Do you not believe that I have this under control? Trust me,” he said, “It’s alright.”

 

“For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also though Christ our comfort overflows. 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.” 2 Corinthians 1:5-7

 

I think this is one of my favorite things about being a Christian. I think it’s honest and worthy. It is very easy for us to say that Jesus’ crucifixion was simple and easy, Praise God, we’re saved. But no, Christ really suffered for our salvation. It wasn’t an easy thing. He was beaten and ridiculed. After everything he went through that day, it’s amazing that he even stayed alive long enough to be crucified. He was tortured physically and emotionally.
And we can really relate to that, don’t you think? Day in and day out our fallen condition gives way to suffering. But we are one in everything with Christ. Paul tells us here that our sufferings are his, and his are ours. In Christ, we go through nothing alone. All of our burdens are shared with the King of the Earth.
And then, the icing on the cake, Christ overcame suffering. Christ, dead from the cross, lives again. He rises from the grave and overcomes the death and pain and sin that was put on him in the final moments of his life. And similarly, we are one this feat with him. In Christ, as we suffered with him, we are comforted by his resurrection,  and saved by his Grace.

Again however, I am an even worse sinner than Paul is. Part of that is my selfishness. And it is in this selfishness that I try to claim even my suffering as my own. So often I choose to not even share that with Christ. I search and beg for the comfort, but I leave the suffering to myself.
It has to be important to remember that the suffering and the comfort go together, and are both shared with Christ crucified. God is greater than our suffering and his Grace is our comfort. By remembering that we share suffering with Christ, we can allow his mercy to come in and be our comfort.

I praise God that I no longer have to deal with the sufferings and death of a sinful man by myself, but can share in the sufferings and death of Christ, and be given hope and life through his resurrection. “Our God is in heaven and does what he pleases.” He loves us, and our joy and communion with him is what pleases him the most. Have faith and hope, and he will keep us, guide us, and bless us. He will bring us to the things we love, and will bring the things we love home to us.