At the end of my comfort zone

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)

Have you ever wondered why we go 'through' troubles instead of avoiding them all together? Jesus went through a lot of stuff while he fulfilled his ministry on this earth, not avoiding even some of the worst things a person could endure. If he didn't, what makes us think we should? Maybe the reason for going 'through' those troubles is so we can do what Jesus did - help others as they face similar troubles. It is quite possible God is making a way for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others as they face similar trials and troubles.

Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us to consider where a man stands 'at times of challenge and controversy', not so much where he stands in times of comfort. I believe where we turn, who we look to, and where we find our strength in times of trial or testing is evidence of how deep our dependence is upon God, ourselves, or others. C.S. Lewis told us that if we are only looking for 'comfort', we won't find it, but if we look for truth, we will find comfort in the end. It is a bit strange to think we abandon our 'comfort zone' only to find in the midst of life's chaos comes some of the greatest comfort mankind can find.

We may not want to admit it, but God isn't finished with us yet. There are more troubles ahead that we need to walk through, but he's waiting for us at the point of our need. God's comfort may not come in the form of 'deliverance from' as much as it comes in the form of 'deliverance within'. It is 'within' the trial that we find our own comfort disturbed and miracle of his comfort surrounding us. Maybe that is the reason for the trial - to disturb our comfort and to fill us with his. Our comfort is rarely sufficient to meet the needs of another in their time of trial, but his comfort within us is always sufficient for not only our own need, but that of another, as well. Just sayin!