A Word of/on Encouragement
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Introduction
• Last week we spoke about the idea that true power may be found in weakness—we investigated the idea that every rose has its thorn
• In that lesson we acknowledged that it is often in our lowest moments that God works his greatest gifts and reveals his all sufficient grace and perfects his power in us
• The problem is that it is often at the lowest moments that we get the most discouraged and render ourselves incapable of seeing God’s great kindness
• That has certainly been true in my life
• Finishing a PhD with no place to teach
• Going back to “retail” instead of doing ministry
• Being humbled when I thought it was time to be exalted
• We often experience trouble or afflictions at our low moments
• Isn’t that why we call them low moments?
• When life is tiring, when you are struggling, when family members aren't where you want them to be, when bills aren't paid, when school is difficult, when work is exhausting, when your health is failing, when your loved ones are hurt, when the future is unsure, and when a good friend leaves, in our time of weakness, it is easy to be discouraged
• Discouragement blinds us, but encouragement enlightens and enlivens
• Anyone here need a bit of encouragement in hard times?
• Our passage today speaks of encouragement (using the word “comfort” some six times in three verses). In 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, Paul tells us four important things about encouragement:
• It is a person
• It has a place
• It has a purpose
• It has a point
1. The Person
• 2 Corinthians 1:3—Here Paul identifies encouragement or comfort as coming from a person
• Okay, strike that, not just any person, but the Person
• Paul describes God as the Father of “mercies”
• The word for “mercies” here refers to “pity” or “compassion”
• Paul also describes this person as “The God of all comfort”
• The word “comfort” here translates a Greek term that means “encouragement” or a calling to the aid of someone
• It is a word used to describe our “Helper” or “Comforter,” the Holy Spirit (John 14:26)
• It is the idea of someone who is there to help by encouragement
• Too often we look for encouragement in a host of other places
• Sometimes we compare our problems to other people’s problems and try to find comfort
• Sometimes we just try to have a positive “attitude” that things will get better
• Sometimes we fill our lives with other things in an effort to “forget” our problems
• Sometimes we try to find “comfort” in the pleasures of the flesh
• Sometimes we simply complain
• When Paul wants to discuss “comfort” or encouragement, he points his readers to a person—to God himself
• This is the God and Father of Jesus—just as he cared for his own Son, so Paul reminds us that God has compassion and care for us
• The idea of “Father” here has to do with origin or source
• God is the source of all mercy and the true source of encouragement or comfort
• There is no limitation to the amount of mercy or comfort God offers
• He is the source for all the mercies we need
• Encouragement is one of the mercies God gives
• If God is the true source of comfort/encouragement, then the question arises as to where we may receive it?
• The place of encouragement may surprise you
2. The Place
2 Corinthians 1:4a—Paul now reveals the surprising place where we may find encouragement
Encouragement comes “in all of our afflictions”
Read that again—Pay close attention to the words
Comfort/Encouragement comes from God and reveals itself in “all our afflictions”
What are “afflictions”?
The word here has to do with tribulations, anguish, or distress
Encouragement is often revealed in our deepest valleys
Think of the people of the Bible
Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Daniel and the three Hebrew young men
Timothy and Paul
In all of these situations and to all these people God proved faithful
Although he did not always remove the problem (remember, every rose has its thorn), God is faithful to show mercy and to encourage
What are your “afflictions”?
What is the darkest valley you face?
Where do you need the most encouragement?
That is the place that the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort wants to meet you
Notice that it doesn’t say that God encourages us in “some” of our afflictions (cf. Psalm 23:4; Heb. 13:5)
The word “all” covers a lot of ground
There is no place of trouble that God’s mercies and comfort cannot reach
On the other hand, he will not force his grace or encouragement on us
“Your love is too pure to force me to love you” sings Dennis Jernigan
The same may be said for his mercies and encouragement
God meets us in “all our afflictions” to offer us his mercy and encouragement, but he does not simply swoop in with a provision (Heb. 13:5—he is always there)
No, God has a purpose
If you are in distress, if you face affliction, God offers to you today his mercies and comfort
But these things come with a purpose in mind (James 1:2-4)
3. The Purpose
2 Corinthians 1:4b—Paul continues his thought by moving beyond the place of comfort to its purpose
Simply stated, Paul tells us that encouragement is given to us so that we can in turn give it to others
That is, God comforts us in our afflictions/distresses so that we can then do the same for others
Sounds like a no brainer, right? The purpose of your afflictions may have something to do with preparing you to be a help to someone else
As you are afflicted, so are you prepared to encourage
Your “problems” become the mission field into which God will pour mercy and encouragement for others
You think it is a “hindrance” or some kind of “obstacle,” yet your very place of affliction may be your future mission
Where you suffer today, where God wants to meet you with his mercies and encouragement may well become the place of greatest ministry for you in the future
Remember, every rose has its thorn—true power is found in weakness—the place where you are suffering, struggling, aching, or even in despair can be the spot where God perfects his power and shows his all sufficient grace
There is a pattern here, so what’s the point?
4. The Point
2 Corinthians 1:5—Paul reminds us that Jesus is the point of all these afflictions and God’s mercies and encouragement
Remember, God worked in Jesus’ life in a similar way
Hebrews 2:14-18 reminds us that Jesus became one of us so that he might give us freedom from the fear of death
Jesus stood in solidarity with us, even to the point of death, and by his suffering and death provided for us the victory
His “afflictions” provide comfort for us
As God comforted him, so God comforts us
Hebrews 5:8 reminds us that Jesus even “learned obedience from the things he suffered”
If Jesus suffered (with loud cries and tears, Heb. 5:7), how can we expect any less?
But by his suffering, Jesus becomes for us the very comfort and power we need to stand strong in our “afflictions”
Hebrews 2:18 and 4:15-16 remind us that through Jesus we receive help
The point is this—as our Lord suffered and received his Father’s mercies and encouragement, so also we receive mercies and encouragement from him when we suffer “afflictions”
What’s the point of all this? Jesus is the point
God works in our afflictions to make Christ’s image known in us and shown through us
Paul has gone out of his way to remind us that some of the afflictions we face are actually the sufferings of Christ
We may have an abundance of these issues, but in many cases they are not “ours” alone, the afflictions or sufferings belong to Jesus
That means that our afflictions are not meaningless, there is purpose and meaning to them
That means that many of the things we face are actually God ordained and God given
They belong to Jesus and are not our property
Therefore we need to see Jesus suffering with us (Acts 9)
He also reminds us that encouragement is abundant in Christ
If the afflictions belong to Jesus, then we can rest assured that encouragement or comfort will also come from him
We are not alone, we face these things with and in Christ
Whatever your affliction, Jesus is with you in its midst
You do not face these afflictions alone, you have help
As a result, we can be confident of encouragement and grace (Hebrews 4:16)
The point is that God intends to use our afflictions as a means to work in us the character of Christ
In our times of “distress,” God works his grace and mercy in and through us
By this work, he then reveals his grace and mercy to others
By encouraging us, he empowers us to encourage others
Application
In light of all this, how should we respond?
If God is the person of encouragement . . .
If he shows that encouragement in our afflictions . . .
If the purpose of our afflictions and our encouragement is to comfort others as Christ comforts us . . .
Then how can we receive and give comfort/encouragement this week?
First, make sure you understand God’s character and God’s purpose for your afflictions. If you have any doubt about God’s intentions, this week spend some time with God and his Word. Read Hebrews 1-5 or 2 Corinthians 1. Spend some time seeking to understand God’s character as an encourager and one who comforts. Act on what you know about God as the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. Stand firm on Romans 8:28-39 (try memorizing these verses). God’s encouragement is received just like his mercies, by faith. Remember, faith acts on what it knows
Second, take time to show gratitude to God for his mercies and comfort. Say “Thank you” to God a lot. Develop an attitude of gratitude
Third, look for opportunities to encourage or to comfort others
Show genuine interest in another person and his or her situation (especially the afflictions). Spend time with them in their situation and let them know you care. Express genuine interest by asking questions. Get them talking. Like Jesus, be with them.
Acknowledge what’s important in their situation. Most of us crave an acknowledgement about our situation. If the person is mad at God (or if you are mad at God), admit it and discuss it. Sometimes the simple act of affirmation or validation provides encouragement and builds confidence.
Finally, encourage others by offering to lend a hand. Show someone you care by doing something to bless them. Surprise them in their “affliction” with an unexpected kindness.
Thanks for reading!
