Be of the same mind

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
Rom 12:14-16

When we are hurting, we want someone to come along beside us and comfort us. That is what our heart truly wants. We may spew out words that are hurtful or that are damaging but it’s from the damage that’s occurred to our heart. The poison of the heart needs to come out and often it hurts others. We know this—we’ve all experienced this… in our lives…

When the human body is damaged, it produces a certain amount of productive fluid to surround the injury, to protect the injury. Emotionally we do much the same…

It was many years ago now that two young ministers came to my home and they began to work on my heart. Their instrument was the Word of God. They spent hours listening to me as I argued with them… until finally I asked them forcibly to leave my home. The debate was the bitterness of my heart…

I slept little that night as all I could do was weep, repent, and cry even more… the pain of many years of bitterness was pouring out of me. In the morning I couldn’t call both brothers fast enough and repeatedly repent… to this day… even now… I owe them both such a great debt of thanks.

For these brethren, these friends listened to my pain, my poison, and they did not blow me off but they cared, they loved, they endured, and they saved me and my family from greater damage! They went beyond reading the Word, preaching the Word; these men lived the Word and through it helped me.

While I was in Florida over the last four months, I meet a young man who was having some life difficulties. This twenty something young man had more stress occurring at one time than I’ve ever had in my life… after a while he came under a suicidal watch. God allowed me to spend many hours talking with this young man, praying with him and after a while, he re-dedicated his life to Christ. Then he picked up a phone, called the police, and told them where his lawless sister was at—that was tough but it was the right thing to do. He wept as I did through that decision and many, many other difficult ones but afterwards his life was coming together and with it peace was taking shape. The little that I helped him was due to the many, many people that have helped me… through the many people that helped them… through Christ who is our foundation.

When we are down… we need a friend. When we are down… we need comfort.

God has on so many occasions given us comfort… help us to comfort those who need comfort… who need a friend.