By Danae Templeton
The higher you climb, the further there is to fall. Job is perhaps the most quintessential example of that. He had a remarkable amount of riches, children, and blessings. “He was the greatest man among all the people of the East” (Job 1:3). And then, in the course of a day, it was all taken away.
Job’s friends came to him when he was suffering, and sat with him in the ashes of his life. They didn’t begin from a place of pity, or anger, or blame. But once they opened their mouths, they devolved so quickly into blaming Job for his own suffering that he named them “miserable comforters” (Job 16:2).
When the worst happens to a person we know and love, what should our response be? Hopefully, not like Job’s comforters! Too often, however, we don’t do anything because we don’t know what to say or what to do. That heaps even more pain on the person. It’s better to stumble along in our efforts of comfort than to give no comfort at all. Unfortunately, we’re wired as a culture do always “do” something, so that tends to be our first go to. When it comes to comfort, we need to just be present—that’s it. What most people need when their worlds have fallen apart is just to have someone care—to sit with them in their pain. This is the best kind of comfort we can bring and then as time goes on, we can step up with the practical help.
Just Between Us is here to support you in comforting others. We pray that these articles we have collected help you become the comforter you wish to be to those God brings your way.