With Strength

“Today’s message was written by my friend, Rev. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.” -Joe

How does faith mend a broken heart? Sooner or later, heartache comes to all of us. Sadness, sorrow, disappointment, grief, rejection, hurt – whatever you wish to call it – rears its head and covers us like a heavy blanket. Let me suggest some resources of the Christian faith that can help us walk through the dark valley of sorrow. First, claim the fellowship of the church. Let the church family’s arms of love surround you and support you. Never forget that you are not alone. God is with you. Nothing, not even death, can separate you from the love of God. No matter how hurt you may feel, let the church be an integral part of the healing process.

Second, and this may surprise you, claim the power of helping others, which comes only from having gone through the grief pilgrimage. Those who have gone through sorrow of any kind have a new empathy, new sensitivity, new compassion, new power to help others. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted!” The word comforted comes from Latin words – cum, which means “with” and fortis, which means “strength.” So the word comforted means literally “with strength”! Thus, Jesus was saying “Blessed are those who have gone through sorrow, for they are with strength.” Someone once put it like this; “Whoever among us has, through personal experience learned what pain and anxiety are…. belongs no more to themselves alone; they are the sister, the brother of all who suffers.”

Friend of Dial Hope, claim that strength to help others which comes only on the other side of trouble, only from walking through the valley of grief. God needs you to share yourself with others. Memorize this verse: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Trust God…trust God….trust God.

Let us pray: God of love, some days there is so much pain, so much emptiness. And yet, you know what we are feeling. As we count our blessings, keep us from wallowing in self-pity so that we may encourage and comfort others. Turn our sadness to laughter, remembering that “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.’ (Proverbs 1 7:22) Through the grace of Jesus Christ. Amen.