TODAY IS…

a fine day to do something wonderful for yourself.

“When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”  2 Corinthians 1:4b NLT

Offering comfort to someone who is in poor health, experiencing the loss of a loved one or going through some other personal tragedy, having a hard time financially, or just having an all-around bad day could be the most wonderful thing that any of us could possibly do for ourselves. Lending a hand, a shoulder, a dollar or an ear could be all that it takes to help another human being endure trials or suffering in their life.

Some of us have suffered more than others, but we all have suffered. Some of us have endured more hardships than others, but we all have endured hardships.

As Christians, we have looked to God for comfort during those times and He has always been there to make whatever it was that we were facing more endurable. More than likely our difficulties did not miraculously disappear, but God helped to open our eyes to the lessons we were to learn, or to open our hearts to allow our feelings to have freedom of movement so they could flow both out of us and into us.

We are certainly not God, but part of what God was doing when He comforted us was preparing us to help others.

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.” (2 Corinthians 1:4a NLT).

You may ask, “But what if I am having a bad day myself?”

Perfect!

No, it is not perfect that you are having a bad day but that presents the perfect opportunity to do something wonderful for yourself! Simply find another human being who is just like you and take your focus off of yourself, put it on the other and you will find that the comfort you have offered someone else has not only made their day better, but it has likely done the same for yours as well.

While the Bible teaches us to take the focus off of ourselves, there are exceptions to many rules and this would qualify as an exception approved by God. Doing something wonderful for yourself by helping another is exactly the way God would want it.

Of course, after you have left that other person feeling better about their situation, feeling more optimistic about life, and perhaps feeling just a little closer to God, you could always treat yourself to a little chocolate as well.

God probably wouldn’t mind that at all.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson