Struggling to receive comfort? These five grace-filled reminders will help you embrace support with humility, gratitude, and a deeper understanding of Christ’s love for us.
Giving comfort in times of need is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? After all, as Christians, we should always be ready to offer comfort to those around us. Make that meal. Send that card.
But what about when we are the ones needing comfort?
Well now, that’s a different story, isn’t it? At least it is for me. It’s so much easier to be the comforter. I know I’m helping someone. I’m showing the love of Christ.
But when I’m the comfortee? (That’s not really a word, but I’m gonna go with it.) I feel weak, embarrassed, and even ashamed sometimes. I think I should have reciprocated somehow, even for a surprise. I should have thought of it myself. I shouldn’t have needed help in the first place. And now I need to return the favor ASAP.
I’m not sure why I feel these things. I know I am very far from perfect. I know there are always ups and downs. And I never think any of those things about others.
So why do I do this to myself? Maybe it’s time to have a chat with that part of my psyche because it’s got some learning to do. How about you?
Reminders for Receiving Comfort Well
#1 – It’s not a sign of weakness.
It’s normal to feel as though we are weak when we need comfort. I question how I got in this position in the first place.
While a certain amount of introspection and analysis is healthy for learning and growth for the future, it’s not realistic to expect to never be in a position to need comfort from someone else. Even if we’re living a consequence of a mistake we made, that’s okay. We’re going to mess up.
But also, sometimes the situations we’re in have nothing to do with our actions. Things happen around us—to the people we love.
We must lay down the pride of feeling like we always have it together.
#2 – It’s a gift.
There are some words we’ve heard so many times we become desensitized to them. Almost like a cliché. I think the word gift is like that. We talk about so many things being gifts, but it’s easy to overlook the real meaning in that word.
We treat it more like an obligation. Because if someone gives us something, we must return the favor somehow. If something is given with the expectation of getting something in return, that’s not a gift. That’s a loan. Or a debt.
#3 – It means someone has seen us.
For someone to give a gift, they must see our hurt, think about how they might alleviate that hurt in some way, and then act on it. They have put their love in action.
#4 – It’s a picture of what Christ did for us.
God uses others to care of for us. It is one of the sweetest ways God reminds us of the big picture. We’re hurt in the biggest sense of the word. We’re wounded and dying. But he sent His Son to rescue us, to comfort us, purely by His grace. Nothing in us deserves His comfort.
#5 – It’s a way that we love others well.
There is strength in being able to just say thank you. When we help someone, we want to know that we’ve helped them. By saying thank you, and not feeling offended that we had a moment, we are allowing someone else to receive the blessing of helping someone.
Receiving comfort well can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. It is a beautiful expression of love from someone else toward us, and a picture of what Christ has done for us.
Do you struggle with receiving comfort well? What helps you? Share in the comments below.
More Reading
- 7 Ways God’s Shown His Love to a Hurting World from HISsparrowBlog
- When You Feel Like You’re Not Enough from HISsparrowBlog
- How to Be a Good Neighbor from HISsparrowBlog
I frequently link up with the following: Grace & Truth with Embracing the Unexpected, Instaencouragements with Patsy and her crew, Let’s Have Coffee with Joanne Viola, and Blessing Bloggers with Deb Wolf.
Ashley, I don’t think I struggle with receiving comfort, but I know people who do. I think your reminders are all spot on, especially the last one. Just say thank you. It’s so simple, and yet you’re right … it lets the person who helped know that he or she is a blessing.
Sometimes it’s hardest for me to do that. I always want to turn it around somehow, which can come off as insencere. Thank you so much for commenting!
Ashley, this is a good reminder to be a grateful recipient of comfort. We prolong our suffering by refusing to acknowledge our pain or let others in.
That is so true, Debbie!
It is hard to accept help sometimes; but if we refuse the help, then we are robbing the person of the blessing God gives to those who help.
Great post! And I agree, we just need to say simply, “Thank You.”
Sometimes that’s the hardest. But I’ve found when I do that, it somehow allows the gift to shine. Thanks so much for commenting!
Somewhere along the line some of us absorbed the message that mature Christians don’t need comfort or encouragement. We can do all things through CHRIST (Philippians 2:13)! GOD’S grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9)! And we have the HOLY SPIRIT empowering us from within (Acts 1:8)! We count it ALL as joy (James 1:2-4)! “Neediness” doesn’t fit into the picture of a strong, faith-filled Christian–or so we think. Thank you so much, Ashley, for pointing out that receiving comfort isn’t a sign of weakness or immaturity; it’s a sign of humility. And it’s the humble whom God has chosen as the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:4).
Yes, I’m not sure why we’re so inclined to forget that, Nancy. Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
Thank you, Ashley for these reminders, while it may be hard to receive comfort at times, I always remember that God is the God of all comfort, and He often comes to us through others.
That is so true, Donna! Thanks for commenting!
Ashley, this was such a wise post. We all need help at various times. Helping one another out is how we show our love. It is so important to simply say, “Thank you”, so that no matter which end we are on, we both know we have been blessed. Blessed to receive. Blessed to give.
I love that, Joanne: “Blessed to receive. Blessed to give.”