When Joy Escapes Me By Nina SmitНамуна

Offer your consolation

Consoling someone does not mean taking their pain away, but simply being there in their time of suffering: to give the person who is suffering the message that they are not alone, that you are there for them and that you are willing to help bear their burden.

All of us know people who are going through some kind of adversity. And all of us are able to console someone—with our words, with a hug, sometimes with just a smile. The word “consolation” stems from two Latin words: “to be there” (con) and “the lonely one” (solus). This expresses precisely what the word means: to be with someone who is lonely. 

All that you need do is to assure someone who is suffering that they are not alone; that you are there to help them and encourage them, even if it is not possible for you to physically take away their pain.

A listening ear and a simple prayer are among the things that are most consoling. Tell them of God’s consolation, because ultimately no one is able to console as He does (see Psalm 86:17; 119:50, 76). If you are the one in need of comfort, accept the consolation of your friends and of God; allow it to bring peace to you as it did to the psalmist so many years ago. 

Prayer

I thank You, Lord, for enabling me so many times to experience Your consolation when I felt alone and afraid. Teach me to be a comforter to others as You are for me. Amen.