Miserable Comforters?

I have heard many things like these;

 you are miserable comforters, all of you! 

Job 16:2

Jobs friends came to grieve with him. They came with the common social understanding that Job has either sinned against God or has contemplated sin until these tests are a warning. They urge Job to "fess up" and allow a contrite spirit to relieve him of this present distress.

God considered Job a blameless and upright man, a man who feared Him & shunned evil. It must have been hurtful for him to have friends who were not encouraging him through those hard times, and i don't blame him for calling his friends miserable comforters, well...they were miserable comforters. They questioned Jobs spirituality and integrity when they were meant to encourage, sympathise and at least try to understand him.

We have been there one way or another. When we expected our closest friends to understand us and comfort us but we instead got a sermon on confession and repentance.Or, we have been such miserable comforters to others...

We all have been called to the Ministry of Comfort. This is because all of us have gone through some painful experiences in our lives and through Gods help, we came out strong. ( Well, if you haven't gone through such an experience in your life, don't worry, don't be discouraged, the day will come and you will go through a painful experience...am i being a miserable comforter?). We go through this experiences so that sometime in future, we may take the role of a comforter in someone else's life who at that time will be going through the same thing that you went through and God got you out- these things are common to man and there is nothing new under the sun right? 2 Corinthians 1:3-5;

 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 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 receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

Once we understand that we have been called into this Ministry, we will allow the Holy Spirit to teach us in being good comforters other than miserable comforters. Friends who will be there to encourage and not to discourage or criticize or judge the people who we are called to minister to. Friends who will be there and sometimes say nothing, as we have seen, our words can be meaningless. Even words like " God cares" do not make sense to a person who is grieving. Sometimes, all we will be needed to say is, " I understand" and leave it at that. To hold their hand and offer your shoulder for them to cry on...and even cry with them.

Above all, let us seek to find comfort in Christ Jesus who is the comforter of ALL. To find comfort in His Words. We are human beings living on earth(of course) :), and hard times will always be there. Let's not be discouraged when this times check in but lets allow the Holy Spirit to comfort us, lets be reminded that, even if we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for He is with us, His rod and His staff they comfort us...and as He does this may our comfort overflow into other people's lives.

I choose to be a comforter!!!