...so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
God never gives you comfort just for yourself, and He never intended discipleship to work that way either. When He walks you through a hard time and gives you peace, hope, or strength, it comes with a purpose. That comfort isn't meant to stay with you like some personal treasure you keep locked away. It's meant to flow through you to someone else who desperately needs to know that God shows up in hard places too.
Think about the best discipleship you've ever received during a tough time. It probably didn't come from someone who had studied your problem in seminary. It came from someone who had been exactly where you were standing. They knew what it felt like to be scared, confused, or heartbroken because they had walked that same dark path. When they shared what helped them, it meant everything because it was real, tested, and born from their own brokenness.
This completely destroys the expert myth we've created in discipleship. We think discipleship only works when spiritually mature people teach those who are struggling. We believe you have to have your life figured out before you can help someone else with theirs. But Paul shows us that God's design is the opposite. Real discipleship happens when broken people share what God is teaching them with other broken people.
But here's where most of us get stuck when it comes to discipleship. We think we need to wait until we're completely healed before we can help anyone else. We believe we have to have all the answers and our lives perfectly together before we're qualified to disciple others. That's the expert myth that keeps us from Jesus' model of discipleship. The most powerful discipleship happens when broken people walk alongside other broken people, sharing what God is teaching them in real time.
Someone around you is going through exactly what you're going through, and they need a fellow traveler, not a finished expert. Your willingness to share what God is teaching you today might be exactly what transforms someone else's struggle into spiritual growth. The qualification for discipleship isn't your spiritual maturity. It's your willingness to pass on what you're learning right now, even while you're still learning it.
The Greek word for comfort in this verse means "to call alongside," and that's exactly what discipleship looks like. God calls Himself alongside you in your pain, and then He calls you alongside someone else in theirs. You become part of a discipleship chain that started with God and flows through broken people to reach other broken people. This isn't about being a spiritual expert or having a perfect testimony. It's about being willing to share what God is teaching you right now, even while you're still learning.
Godseekers, what is God teaching you right now that someone else needs to learn too? Maybe He's helping you through a job loss or a health scare. Maybe He's giving you peace during anxiety or hope during depression. Stop waiting for your discipleship credentials before you start walking with others. Look around and find someone who could use a walking partner in their struggle, not a teacher who has already graduated from it.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for the comfort You've given me in my hardest moments. Help me see that this comfort isn't just for me but for others who are hurting too. Show me someone who needs to hear what You've taught me through my struggles. Give me courage to share my story and pass on the hope You've given me. Use my experience to bring comfort to someone else today. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Personal Reflection
- What specific comfort or encouragement has God given you during a difficult season that you could share with someone else?
- Who in your life might benefit from hearing how God helped you through a particular struggle?
Step of Faith
Today, I will reach out to someone who might be facing a struggle I've been through and share one way God comforted me during that time.
