Comfort mainly does two things – It strengthens and affirms us!
(I call this Positive Comfort)
Every human faces hardship in one way or another and often when we get beyond our level of coping, we need to find COMFORT!
When we receive that comfort we replenish and evaluate ourselves and strengthen our ability to cope! We all need comfort.
This Psalm captures the need for comfort: “Insults have broken my heart. I’m sick about it. I hoped for sympathy, but there wasn’t any; I hoped for comforters, but couldn’t find any” Psalm 69:20
When we don’t receive the ‘positive comfort’ that we need we can go looking for ‘negative comfort’, for example, everyone has heard the term ‘ comfort food ‘ this is when a person is feeling a negative emotion they seek comfort to experience a positive emotion, such as a great tasting food! It gives comfort but is not good in the long term. It doesn’t strengthen or affirm in the long term.
People find comfort in many things that can have a negative impact such as overeating, drugs, gambling, casual sex, etc…
Finding a source of comfort is very important and we all need it
Job knew about the comfort that strengthens and affirms and could detect NEGATIVE COMFORT when he said: “I have heard all this before. What miserable comforters you are! Job 16:2
How can we tell if what comforts us is positive or negative?
Let’s ask ourselves these questions
- Does the thing or person that comforts me strengthen and affirm me?
- Is the thing or person that comforts me good for me in the long term?
For me, reliable sources of positive comfort have been good friends, family and the bible.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort”. 2 Corinthians 1:3
By Vivian Biancardi
CRED: Cert.IV (Youth work), grad Cert (CFT), Cert IV.TAE, CCAA Grad Member
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