4 Ways to (Actually) Help a Sufferer

“Don’t worry – God will work all this out for his good!”

These are words that people in the throes of suffering usually do not want to hear. We love to be quick with advice, but the Word of God says that we should be quick to listen, lest we err while a brother or sister is in acute mental anguish.

Blake Goodman (TGC) writes about four initial responses that all Christians should keep as their “go-to-battle-drill” when a friend has suffered traumatically. You can read more about this by accessing the full article (5 min. read) by clicking  --> here <--

1. Be Present. A good starting point is sacrificing your time and sundry responsibilities by elevating the sufferer in such a way that you will go to visit them, personally.

2. Listen. I’ve been told that God gave me two ears and only one mouth for a purpose: we are made to listen twice as much as we speak. God’s Word agrees in this respect:

If one gives an answer before he hears,

 it is his folly and shame. (Proverbs 18:13)

3. Weep.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)

4. Encourage. You cannot fix, so don’t try. Instead, offer encouragement from your heart and from God’s.

To go deeper, I would recommend the book, Side by Side: Walking with Others in Wisdom and Love, by Ed Welch (Crossway). It is a short and excellent book on how to walk side-by-side in community – and how that creates a Christ-shaped comfort to those within the church who are in need.