The Cure for Sorrow

"Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him."
2 Corinthians 2:7&8

It is a difficult pill to swallow. As Christians, we believe that we are blessed people, and we are. Yet the Bible teaches that there will be sorrows that we face. All of us either are suffering some kind of sorrow, or we know others who are. Sorrow is part of the changing seasons of life. But there is a cure. 
    This scripture convicts me regarding my relationships with others. I have many Christian friends. Some I see on a regular basis, others live in other parts of the country and contact is less frequent. But I realize that I have a responsibility. When these friends are struggling with sorrow, I should reaffirm my love for them. We live in a time when communication is so easy that we can talk to anyone in the world in a matter of seconds. So it makes no difference if I can talk to the person face to face or via phone or email. It is vital that I, along with others, express our love and comfort those who are in sorrow. 
    Sorrow is not only due to sad events in a person's life. It can also be due to sin. In the case of the man in the scripture above, it was sin that led to separation from the rest of the church. This brought sorrow that was very painful to the man. So Paul's instructions to the church was to forgive him, comfort him, and reaffirm their love for him. This sounds like the perfect cure for a sorrowful heart. If the church today were to really receive this instruction, there would be far less sorrow and separation. It has been said that the church is the only institution that kills their wounded. It is time to stop the judging, backbiting, and gossip. It is time to comfort those who are hurting whether it is the result of sin or difficult times. 
    The Bible mentions many times that people were refreshed by the brothers. Simply through times of sharing, getting together,etc. people were blessed and refreshed. How true this is. Sometimes we live in our own worlds. We are so busy with our lives, families, work and recreation, that we forget there are others who need us. In the church, we are called, instructed, in fact mandated to make sure we are spending time in fellowship with those who need to be refreshed. If the church is a body, then just as our own bodies work to come to the aid of the part that is in pain, so we should comfort those who are sorrowful. It is God who ultimately will heal a sorrowful heart, but we are his agents in the process. I think this is the cure for sorrow.