A Present Need
Wade E Taylor

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who  comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to  comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort  wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”  II Corinthians 1:3-4

There are many wounded or deeply hurt Christians, who have been (unintentionally) hurt by a minister, or by another Christian.  These hurting Christians draw back, refusing to again expose their need, and consequently become spiritually crippled.  If they had the understanding that there was a higher “purpose” in their being hurt, the negative consequences could be avoided and their fellowship among Christians enhanced.

Thus, it is important for us to understand a spiritual principle that applies to the present workings of the Lord, so we will know how to better respond to the difficult situations in which we find ourselves.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28

There is a present need for “overcomers,” those who have risen above a hurt or misunderstanding and did not become bitter or vindictive.  As a result, these overcomers have become compassionate and understanding, and have a desire to bring healing to those who have been wounded, then left behind and finally alone; because they have withdrawn from fellowship with the Body of Christ.

If you are burdened to minister in this area of critical need; you must be willing to subject your life to circumstances, or dealings beyond that which is required for your own spiritual discipline and walk.  This is necessary so you will be able to compassionately relate to the trials of the wounded and hurt, and then, understand how to help them.

Preparation for this ministry is “above and beyond” all that is required to bring us into “the measure of the stature and image of Christ.”

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”  Ephesians 4:13

Therefore, those who desire this ministry must give the Lord permission to take them through the necessary trials, so they will be prepared to understand and relate to the needs of wounded and hurting Christians.

In the Garden of Eden, the enemy told Eve that if she and Adam would partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would gain the right to be “as gods.”  That is, they would receive the right to do as they desire (Genesis 3:3-5).  They partook and died spiritually, losing their relationship of total dependence upon God.

This right that we gained in the Garden of Eden, to choose for ourselves remains with us, even after our sins are forgiven and cleansed through His blood.  Therefore, apart from the taking up of our cross and dying to our own ways, we function on the lower level of “the knowledge of good and evil,” doing what we feel to be right and best.  Many times, we fall short of true understanding, and we hurt the spiritual walk of others through our sincere, but faulty counsel.

The Lord recognizes this right that we gained in the Garden of Eden to choose between good or evil, and He does not cross this line.

“If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”  Matthew 16:24b

The “if ” tells us that we ourselves must choose to submit our will to Him, and die to our right to ourselves.  Otherwise, we continue in our own ways.  When I began to understand this, I quickly turned aside and prayerfully gave back to the Lord my right to do as I choose, judging for myself what is good or evil (right or wrong).  Then, I unconditionally submitted my life to His Lordship and I began to look to Him to make these choices for me.

When I made Jesus “Lord” of my life, I gave Him the right to deal with me as He chooses for whatever purpose He may have.  Over the many years that I have known the Lord, I have learned that many times He has used this submission of my life to Him in order to prepare me to minister to another.

The circumstances that He takes me through for this purpose are usually apart from, and completely different than, any need that I may have within my own life.  However, these experiences “qualify” me to become an instrument in His hand to help and encourage others.

We are to “comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (II Corinthians 1:4b).  This means that when we experience a similar circumstance, we are enabled to help others, because of the help that we ourselves have received from the Lord.

Now, through our being able to relate to the “help” that we received from the Lord, we can impart to those who hurt, an understanding of the way through.  This also helps us to remain humble, and reminds us that we have no right to judge or to be critical, thus giving us a pure spirit of compassion toward those who are hurting.

Very often, the “trials” we go through are for the benefit of others.  If we fail to recognize this, we may react and come short of becoming “a vessel prepared,” to help others through their tribulation.  We are only qualified to minister to others after we have been tested and proven to be faithful; otherwise our ministry will be harsh and vindictive.

A Christian who has been through the dealings of the Lord, and ministers through a broken and contrite spirit, will draw many to the Lord and see lives inwardly healed and changed.  There is great satisfaction, along with a sense of purpose and attainment, that comes with this.

There is an urgent need for this ministry in our day.

Are you willing to do your part?