Writing from the Comfort You Have Received

by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank

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 (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

 

Each month, we tuck a bit of money back into our savings account. It’s automatic and has been a great help in times of need.

 

God’s comfort is much like our savings account. When we turn to Him in our struggles, when we trust His promises during suffering, He comforts us. What we may not realize is that in the process, we are accruing a surplus for a later time of need. 

 

But unlike my bank savings account, God’s comfort account is intended for others. Hurting people who will come into my life needing the comfort God once gave me.

 

You see, what we receive from God is not only for our good but for the good of humanity. 

 

As writers, we have a long reach into the world.

 

What impact might we have in this hurting world if we opened the coffers of our comfort account and allowed the wounded to come and take what they need?

 

So many need comfort.

 

A comfort account begins when we choose to suffer well.

 

How, might you ask, can we suffer well? Suffering is hard. Rejection stings. Loss swallows. Pain consumes.

 

My comfort in suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life (Psalm 119:50).

 

The Bible brims with promises. And they all belong to those who are in Christ. If you are a follower and worshipper of Jesus, then the promises of hope, a future, peace that surpasses understanding, strength made perfect in weakness, and so many more, all belong to you. 

 

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).

 

When we believe His promises even when we can’t see them, we receive His comfort. When we choose to trust God even when we don’t understand Him, His comfort anchors us in the storm. 

 

Faith is the key to suffering well.

 

God’s unnatural peace astonishes me when I choose to trust Him. It is unnatural because everything within me is screaming for relief. For release from trouble. For the breakthrough I think I deserve. For the healing of a loved one. Peace under such agonizing circumstances simply doesn’t make sense. But Jesus’ peace calms my soul, clears my mind, and brings order to the disorder.

 

God’s comfort is real.

 

Look over the dark patches in your writing journey. Where did you find comfort? How did you gain the strength to move forward? What gave you peace in painful circumstances?

 

If you relied upon God in those moments, you have a surplus of comfort to share with others.

 

I would never have chosen to have a comfort account for parents of critically ill children. But that is the conflict and climax the Author of my story chose. Slowly word got out. Audrey has a surplus, and we are welcome to draw from it. 

 

What joy it brings to see their hearts comforted! Joy I could not imagine in the excruciating hours, days, and months I sat by my child’s hospital bed, leaning on God to sustain me.

 

How can I keep such surplus to myself? According to 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, my comfort belongs to others. That is its purpose. 

 

We comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

 

Writer, open your comfort account for the hurting. Let them come and draw what God has stored up in you for their healing.

Lord, give me the courage to share the comfort You have given me with others. Amen.

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Audrey Frank is an author, speaker, and storyteller. The stories she shares are brave and true. They give voice to those whose words are silenced by shame, the hard things in life that don’t make sense, and the losses that leave us wondering if we will survive. Audrey and her family have spent over twenty years living and working among different cultures and world views, and she has found that God’s story of redemption spans every geography and culture. He is the God of Instead, giving honor instead of shame, gladness instead of mourning, hope instead of despair. Although she has three different degrees in communication and intercultural studies, Audrey’s greatest credential is that she is known and loved by the One who made her.

Audrey is the author of Covered Glory: The Face of Honor and Shame in the Muslim World (Harvest House Publishers), an outpouring of Audrey’s heart to introduce others to the God of Instead. Shame is not unique to the developing world, the plight of the women behind veils, young girls trafficked across borders; shame is lurking in hearts everywhere. Through powerful stories from women around the world, Covered Glory illuminates the power of the Gospel to remove shame, giving honor instead. Available at favorite booksellers: BARNES & NOBLE , BOOKS A MILLION, AMAZON.