PAYING IT FORWARD
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 CSB
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Pay It Forward was a film that came out twenty-five years ago. The premise was that to change the world, you would use any good that came your way to do something for three other people who would pay a good deed forward for three people and on and on. The premise was pretty good, although the movie was not a big hit. The movie did start people doing good things like buying the meal for the person behind them at a fast food drive up window.
As Paul starts his second letter to the church at Corinth. He is acknowledging God as the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. And that is a very different way to picture God. To many, He is the Father of misery and the God of all affliction. I do feel for those people who seem to believe that God is perpetually angry with them and looking to inflict punishment. Paul had a different revelation of God. Joy and I were talking the other night about how merciful God is. We cited examples of ministers who made significant mistakes and still went on to have significant ministries. We looked at our own lives and were struck by how merciful God has been to us.
Not only is God merciful, but He is the God of all comfort. The Greek word for comfort is a bit different than we use comfort today. We think of comfort food or something that makes us feel good. The Greek word is paráklēsis and is the act of exhortation or encouragement. The Olive Tree Dictionary goes a bit further: "an exhortation, admonition or encouragement for the purpose of strengthening and establishing the believer in the faith." God's comfort, then, is more than simply feeling better. God's comfort is to encourage us to a place of strength. So God's comfort in our affliction or trouble is not a pat on the head with a 'there, there, fretful one.' Rather, God's comfort reminds us of His presence and help, that we are not alone, and this is not the end.
God comforts and encourages us, and then we are to take that same comfort and encouragement and pass it on or pay it forward to other people who are in need of comfort. God comforts us, then we comfort others, and the cycle keeps going.
APPLICATION
God's kingdom is a Kingdom of love—a Kingdom of unselfish acts. Love is the currency of God's kingdom. Then it makes perfect sense that as a member of God's kingdom, how God has comforted you is what you can give to others. This is very true in situations where God has helped you in an area. The area where He comforted you gives you immediate relatability with those going through the same thing. For example, I can preach comfort to all types of people. But in a one-on-one situation I find I can be effective with business people who are struggling. The same applies with people who deal with depression. God has comforted and strengthened me in that area, so I am able to pass that comfort and encouragement on.
Now, the important question is, how has God comforted you? And how can you pass that on? That's actually two questions, but both are important. Has God helped you with a fractured marriage, health problem, mental illness, career struggles? Any way God has comforted you, pay it forward. What if we all did this as a church? We would definitely need a bigger boat.
PRAYER
Thank You, Father, for the comfort You have sent my way. Lead me to where and with whom I can pay that comfort forward.