It’s powerful when a Christian can tell someone, “Because of a similar situation that I’ve experienced, I think I may understand what you’re going through. May I share with you what God did for me?”

In the ministry of comfort [2 Corinthians 1:3-4], God’s Word comes alive, and His promises become active and real. Suddenly you understand why you went through your hardship. And, praise God, it was worth it!

The apostle Paul wrote that even the most severe pressures of daily life never separate us from the tenderness and compassion of our Heavenly Father. On the contrary, when we feel like our world is falling apart, God’s power and grace are magnified. As someone once said, “Peace is not the absence of conflict. Peace is the ability to cope.” The God of all comfort can provide that “cope-ability” in the midst of any crisis.

Paul is not saying that we won’t face disappointment, suffering, or conflict in life. But he is saying that no Christian need ever despair. Why? Because we worship the God of all comfort—the God who is sufficient for the pressures of life. When you have experienced God’s comfort, you are equipped to comfort others who are in distress.

This is Luis Palau.