By Lisa Wilmore
Scripture: Then Job replied: “I have heard many things like these; you are miserable comforters, all of you! Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing? I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief (Job 16: 1-7 NIV).
Dear Hearts,
Today, in the same manner as yesterday, our friends need comforting and encouraging in a way that gives them hope, joy and peace. Your friends as well as family members may be on the side of a test that has caused them to lose hope. Perhaps, there may be many who would look at them and judge their past-ultimately bringing forth the misery or despair that they currently face. The stress of the individuals’ struggle not only causes them to be bitter and disgruntle, but you may find yourselves in that same state of mind, also. Amazingly, others’ hurts and pains become ours, which does not help our attitudes as we approach them to offer encouragement. Therefore, if you are a friend or loved one, be mindful of your comforting strategy. Our friends, in distress, need “Encouraging Comforters” not “Miserable Comforters.”
As I am reading the book of Job, the language job uses and the dialogue between him and his friends intrigue me. Interestingly, the friends show up perhaps to be an encouraging comforter, but fails miserably to comfort Job. So much so, Job says to them, in our aforementioned text, “You are miserable comforters, all of you!” Wow! Job did not refrain from sharing with them how he truly felt about their effort to comfort him.
Interestingly, instead of Job’s friends comforting him, they condemned him for bringing on his own suffering. Their comfort consisted of accusations and criticisms. To me, they were more concerned about Job’s sins in life rather than providing him the hope that would remind him of God’s love for him.
How do you treat friends or loved ones who are suffering and it appears that things cannot get any worse? Truly, I, Lisa Wilmore, pondered this question and had to look in the mirror and realize that there may have been times I was a “Miserable Comforter”. “Forgive me Lord, Jesus!”
Particularly, my take away from this message today is that whispering words of encouragement and reassurance that God will take care of those who are suffering is essential. Your friend needs an encouraging comforter, not a miserable one.
Share Jesus with them. Now that is encouragement!
