“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
Though there is disagreement about who first said this, there is total agreement on its truth. To one extent or another, every person you meet today is carrying a heavy burden.
As Christians, one of the things we are called to do is share God’s hope with others, and in doing so, to help them with that burden they are carrying.
This is one of the positive things God can bring out of your own heavy burden. You can share your story of how God has walked alongside you through hardships, and it can be a source of hope for others.
This is what Paul said is one of the redemptive parts of facing difficulties in life:
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. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Do you see the links in the chain in those verses? We experience trouble. We turn to the Lord who comforts us. Then we are able to comfort other people in the same way. It really is true, then, that your own trouble can become a source of ministry as you seek to share God’s hope with others.
But, there are a few things to keep in mind as you seek to do that.
Be Ready to Share God’s Hope With Others
First of all, we must be ready to share God’s hope with others. This isn’t quite as simple as being able to share your faith story with other people; it takes a little more thought. A little more processing. A little more introspection, and a lot more prayer.
When we are in the middle of hard circumstances, we can’t always see God’s work in us. All we can see is how hard the days are, and how much we wish things were different.
Sometimes the pain is so great that we don’t ever pause and reflect on the faithfulness of God once it’s all over. We just move on because thinking about those difficult days is too painful, and it’s easier to just forget.
If we want to be ready to share God’s hope with others, we have to relive our own experiences and try to find the hand of God at work in the midst of it.
Related Post: How to Have Hope When You Are Grieving
Be Present to Share God’s Hope With Others
The story of Job in the Bible is one of the most famous stories of suffering. The story of Job teaches us the wrong way to comfort someone who is struggling. Job’s friends came to his side when everything in his life fell apart, and at first, they did just the right thing:
Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was. - Job 2:13
They were present. Our loving presence with someone in their time of grief can be a powerful source of hope and comfort.
However, things went sideways when the three friends started talking and offering advice. In the end, they would have been better served to just remain present with their friend instead of opening their mouths.
Sometimes the best thing we can do is to just be present. When we are there, both physically and emotionally, we are expressing the comfort of the Lord. He never leaves us. He never forsakes us. Sometimes the right choice is to reach out with presence instead of words, and it takes a lot of wisdom to know when the right time is to start talking.
Be Sensitive to Share God’s Hope With Others
There is a right time to start talking, especially if you have walked through a similar circumstance as someone who is in pain. But, when you share the hope you have in Christ, it’s important to remember that your experience is similar to theirs, but it’s not exactly theirs.
Your story is not their story, but your story can be helpful to them. When you share your faith story with someone, you have to be sensitive to the unique parts of their own story, making sure you do as much listening as you do talking.
Though the truth of God’s Word is the same for everyone, not everyone is in the same position to receive it. So, be compassionate. Be caring. And, be truthful.
We have all walked through varying degrees of pain and difficulty in our lives. And, God has comforted us through those times. It’s a good and right thing for us to pass on that comfort to others. Let’s make sure we are ready, present, and sensitive.
Related Podcast: Brian Ingram and Hope Breakfast Bar
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