Our Suffering Can Be Used to Help Others

2 Corinthians 1:4 – Who Comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

When walking the road of pain, we come upon those we know. We stop and look deeply into their eyes. Just beneath the surface, lays a mix of frustration along with sympathy.
 
They want to see us:
 

• Not suffering.
• Not hurting.
• Not sad.
• Not wanting to live with this.
• Not ready to give up.

 
It’s hard for them when we can’t seem to find relief. So what do we do?
 

1. Sit down with them and talk about other things in our lives, not just the pain.
2. Show them that we’re more than just a disability.
3. Find a way to lift their burdens – Make them laugh. Lighten their load. Show them we can help them sometimes.
4. Go for a walk together if you can. – If you can’t walk, suggest that you take a drive out into the country to just get away for a bit.
5. Most of all, listen to their story. Because sometimes, they’re going through agony and pain, too.

 
We all carry pain around with us, as we walk down the road of life. Let’s sit down together and share openly what’s going on. Let’s be there for each other and try to understand what we’re each walking through. Because when we help someone else:
 

• Our suffering lessens.
• We stop hurting.
• Our sadness turns to joy.
• We see we can live through this.
• We’re not ready to give up.

 
Also, our suffering can be used to help others. Here are some ideas from yourfamilyexpert.com in their article, “The Secret Way Suffering Helps Us to Help Others.” One way is when we’ve made a bad choice in the past we can lift a voice of warning against addition, abuse, impulsiveness, crime, and a variety of other choices, speaking from experience and influencing others to avoid our mistakes. Also, our pain helps us to be more compassionate and tenderhearted towards others who suffer, which in turn leads to some of the most joyous and satisfying relationships of our lives.
 
Take a look at the Bible verse above. In this we see the good that can come from our suffering. For when we receive comfort from God, we can share that comfort with others. We don’t have to reach out to someone empty handed. No matter how much we are hurting, there’s someone who is reaching out their hands with hope of finding someone who will take the time and reach out to them. Let’s take our sorrows and turn them into stepping stones of comfort and renewal.

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