“Praise be to The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” 2 Cor. 1:3-5 (NIV)
Pay Attention! Times are troubling, yet now is not the time to give into our selfish ways just to make ourselves feel better. Satan is cunning and malicious. He will never come to you in his true form for you would flee in a hurry. No, he comes in the form of what you’ve always wanted, what you think you can’t live without, what you’ve convinced yourself you need in order to be fulfilled. It’s a false sense of comfort that is really only a peripheral fleeting phase, easily discarded for the next want, desire, or fix. What humanity needs right now is to perk up in the Spirit and seek something more in life. A life with depth and purpose along with a compassionate comfort afforded us through Christ.
No matter what is going on around you right now, stay alert. You are not alone to figure out life. For one has gone before us to prepare the way, suffered the pains of this earth, and lived the Word. He knows the pain, temptations, and sufferings we endure and combats it with compassion and comfort. Jesus’ life overflows into our own. He stands up for us in the courts of heaven while satan shouts out all our unworthiness, mistakes, bad habits, and devilish desires. Those traps he sets for us of pride, an attitude of “this is owed me”, arrogance, selfish meanness, and over indulgence in the name of comfort are all part of the sneaky plan to lure us away from realizing what’s really important. Yes, there is no sweet way to say it, right now life is hard, confusing, and anxiety driven, but we are not to get caught up in that trap either. Don’t get distracted.
Keep your eyes on Jesus. See the Truth. Seek the deep, heartfelt compassionate comfort that is freely given then pass it on to the next one who needs it in these troubling times. God will send him/her your way. Watch for Your Opportunity!