A shared vision

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 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

God comforts us - we comfort others. The more we realize God's blessings in our lives are not just for us, the more we will find the opportunities to bless others in a similar manner as we are blessed. God doesn't create healed and whole emotions in us for the purpose of just making us feel better. He wants us to share the pathway to health and wholeness with those around us who may need help finding that path. 

Notice that our passage doesn't say, "...if they are troubled", but rather, "...when they are troubled" - indicating that others are experiencing troubling thoughts, habits, and hangups just like us. Is it possible that we might just need each other to find that much needed healing and wholeness? If we withhold our help from others, even though we aren't really doing it on purpose, where will they find that help? 

God made us for community - to exist and operate in harmony with one another, sensitive to the needs of others. When the early church brought all their resources together, they were powerful and the message of hope and healing prospered. When they pulled back into their own little lives and began to ignore the needs of others, do you think God was honored? Not likely! The principle exemplified in the early New Testament church was that of being a resource to each other. Wouldn't it be grand if the church of today had such a vision? Just askin!

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