6/6 - 2 Corinthians 7

In chapter 7, Paul references back to the "severe letter" he sent to the Corinthians, where he dealt with them pretty directly on some issues concerning their spirituality. As he begins to now praise them for their progress, this jumped out at me this morning. Not really related to the chapter's content, but a still a takeaway:

"For indeed when we came back to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus..." (v. 5-6).

I thought about what an awesome testimony it is just to be a comfort to someone, especially in a time of need like this. In today's economy it's pretty safe to say that times are hard and there is so much need out there. As believers, if we're going to make an impact and be able to offer comfort in these times, I believe we need to first be Spirit-led. When our mind is in line with God's, our focus isn't always on our stuff and distracted, but it allows us to care about the things God cares about - people in need. And so it was with Titus, who was sent to Paul in a time of need. He had to be in a place to allow the Spirit to work in him and guide his path. Besides his mere presence being a comfort, he came bringing good news (v. 7, Isaiah 52:7). Hmm, how many people could I be a comfort to today?