So then, brothers, stand firm and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word or by letter. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.
–2 Thessalonians 2:15-17
We all have those moments: someone or something has let us down and we find ourselves wallowing in disappointment and pain.
At such times, we want to be comforted; we want to be told that we matter, we have value, we are loved.
Unfortunately, we often look to all the wrong places for this comfort. We look to food, exercise, music, entertainment, another person, or any other thing that triggers that release of our feel-good hormones. Yet, each of these sources is only a temporary fix. The comfort only lasts as long as the time we spend in our pleasure of choice.
Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians comes at a time of strife, when the church is trying to figure out “What is truth?” Paul sees their struggle and tells them to stand fast in their faith and to let God comfort their hearts.
In this verse, Paul reminds his readers that God loves them and has given them grace. It is because God is their Heavenly Father, because He has extended grace to them, that gives them an everlasting hope. That is why they should seek comfort in Him.
Nothing else will satisfy our hearts. No other love or thing can give us the kind of comfort that we can find in Christ’s unfailing love for us.
Prayer
Loving God, Thank You for being the ultimate source of comfort. Help me to turn to Your love first when I need to be comforted. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Reflection
In what areas of my life do I need to let Christ comfort me? How will I put this into practice?