What the hurting need
We’ve all had those midnight miseries when we jammed our toe on the bedpost or doorframe and, instantly, our entire body recoiled and started hopping.
Interesting thing is that the leg didn’t have to have a meeting with the other leg to decide if there was merit in the idea of jumping up and down for a bit.
Also, the arms and hands didn’t have to send e-mails to one another to decide if they were inclined to even care that the big toe was hurting and needed support. They just reached and held as soon as they could.
And the eyes? Did they have to review their record of looking at that ugly, sometimes smelly toe and then decide if they should look again at the bruised, throbbing toe once the bathroom light was switched on?
Nope.
The fact is that the members of our body immediately, instinctively react when the toe gets jammed and the message goes out, “I’m hurt! Help!”
It’s just how God wired our physical bodies.
“Ouch!” of one => help from many.
It’s the natural order of things.
It’s also the biblical order of things for how church members are to support one another.
In my reading this morning from the One-Year Bible, the Apostle Paul wrote these words:
“There should be no division in the body… its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (I Cor. 12: 25-26)
Lori and I visited a congregation Sunday that has a number of hurting members.
There is a lot of “Ouch!” happening in the flock.
Some of the flock members are reaching out to help those hurting more than they. May God bless them richly for doing so.
Real recovery will begin, however, when the mutual comforting of members becomes the rule rather than the exception.
This is what Lori and I are praying for regarding this group of wounded believers.
They know that there should be no division in the body.
But there is.
Fifty pastors and mental health counselors could go into the place and do the Monday morning quarterback thing until Jesus comes back and it wouldn’t come close to having the restorative impact of the members CHOOSING to comfort one another in the midst of their own discomfort with how things were.
Scripture says that because some are suffering, all are suffering.
Just as when your whole body recoils when you really jam your big toe in the darkness.
To comfort others though I am feeling discomfort is not easy.
It is contrary to my human nature.
That’s why I need an infusion of Christ’s nature.
That’s why I need Jesus.
They more that I imitate Christ, the more that I can imitate His concern for others in the midst of His sorrow.
Dear friend, somebody in your congregation is really hurting right now. Whether their pain is because of a careless step in the darkness or because of another’s deed, you are called to care. And you are called to comfort.
In fact, that’s how God wired the body we know as the church.
Help your hurting church friend. Please.
You don’t need to conduct a survey among your church friends as to if you should care and if you should offer some form of help.
As a fellow believer, God wired you to hear the Holy Spirit’s call to help as soon as you can, not after you think the hurting soul has felt enough pain to learn his or her lesson.
If you don’t know a church friend who is hurting, then ask your pastor who you might encourage. He’ll certainly know somebody who could use some comforting.
That way, once the pain subsides, the joy of a strengthened relationship will spill over into a strengthened congregation. That will bring honor to your faithfulness and ultimately to the power of the gospel.
I love how God’s system really does work.
As always, I love you
Martin
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