2 Corinthians 1:3-5
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
As a hospice chaplain, I found myself in the position of needing to provide comfort to people who lost their loved ones. It is not easy to see people grow weak and die. I learned a lot about compassion in this job. First, I saw a difference in the lives of those who were genuine believers in Jesus. Although they missed their loved ones, their faith in eternal life brought peace to them. God brings hope in despair. Second, I saw church families gather around families and offer comforting presence and words. The most difficult situations I saw were when people were all alone in their sorrow. God works through other people to bring comfort to us. Compassion and comfort go together. Compassion provides the motivation to offer comfort to other people. God is the offer of compassion. We experience God’s compassion through grace in salvation and providential care through the blessings that provide us life. As we become more Christlike, we should also find our hearts more full of compassion that will compel us to comfort the hurting and needy around us.
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