Difficult Times For Difficult People

“For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.” (2Co 1:5-6 AV)

 

The suggestion here is the more one is afflicted, the more he or she will be that vessel of comfort to others who are also enduring suffering.  In particular, the word ‘salvation’ here is used twice.  This salvation could be emotional or spiritual.  The context is insufficient to determine which.  It could be Paul is referring to the consolation he would share with those in distress would alleviate that distress and be their salvation through a difficult set of circumstances.  Or, it could literally be their spiritual salvation.  As Paul and others suffer for the cause of Christ and through trials of faith, sharing consolation with others who have no hope could very well be that which would soften a hard heart to accept Christ as Savior.  To this end, the Spirit gave me meditation.  What if the LORD deemed it necessary to ask the church to go through deep affliction so that those without Christ may come to Him?  What if we are to suffer for the name of Christ so that others who may be softened by our circumstances would consider that which we cling to for hope?  What if our afflictions, we are but light and cannot be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us, are that medium by which the power of God can be seen by others who would otherwise never notice?  In short, I wonder if affliction might be a missing ingredient to today’s soul-winning efforts.

I know my way around a hospital.  As a chaplain, the LORD has allowed me to meet many people in many different sets of circumstances.  Most are minor and would eventually abate.  However, some have been rather serious, even leading to death.  A few were tragic deaths wherein the family had no time to prepare.  I still remember the very first time I had to minister to a family that had lost someone.  This was my very first death.  And it was a tragic one.  When I got the page and then the call, it was a bit late in the night.  The answering service let me know ahead of time what I would be walking into.  If I recall, it was some sort of accident or overdose.  I played through my mind what I might say.  I imagined a room full of people who were beside themselves unable to carry on a conversation or even function.  I imagine wailing and crying so loudly it would be difficult to do anything.  The more I rehearsed in my mind what I might be walking into, the more nervous I became.  How was I going to ease this family’s pain?  What was I going to say to make it feel any better?  I was so stressed.  Then, I arrived and found the family in a private conference room.  I walked in and found a family that was in obvious mourning, but not deeply distraught.  We were able to incorporate some of my PTSD training and help that family process their loss.  Thinking this was an anomaly, the next time I was called to a family who had lost someone, I went through the same thoughts.  It would be an impossible situation.  There would be nothing to say.  I would feel useless to people in such distress.  But the same thing happened.  When I arrived, the family was coping well with the loss of their loved one and we were able to have sweet fellowship and prayer.  In fact, I soon learned this was the norm.  God has a way of preparing people and consoling those in deep distress that we cannot seem to understand.  That is until we suffer the same.  I also learned the consolation that the grieving families’ experiences were also salvation to me.  In a manner of speaking.  I saw the awesome power of God on their lives and hearts and understood completely that God is able to meet us in ways we need but will never understand.  Their affliction worked to my consolation.

But what of evangelism?  Can the same be said of those with whom we have shared the gospel?  I can tell you this: it takes an especially hard person to abuse someone in deep distress.  They may reject the gospel, but they will not go so far as to have no compassion whatsoever.  Those under deep distress have an open door to share their faith with another.  I have used this time and again.  When someone is sharing with me their troubles, empathy with similar experiences gives the soul-winner an ‘in’ to the heart of the lost.  Just as true is that when we are suffering deep distress, even if they reject the gospel, they probably will not kick us when we are down.  So, the application is simple.  If we are to be effective messengers of the gospel of Christ, He might just ask us to suffer deep distress to do so.  It could be that the powers that be persecute us so that we might have the chance to witness to the guard who keeps the jail.  He just might ask us to suffer a difficult health situation that we might be able to hand the nurse or doctor a tract.  It just might be He asks us to go through hard financial times and lose everything that we might be able to share our faith with those who might be there to help.  Whatever the future holds, I think the church needs to be prepared that we share with those around us how God can console them as He is consoling us.