Trial by fire... It sounds so painful, so uncomfortable. However, I have to admit to myself that a lot of the most valuable lessons I learned were from times of struggle and suffering. Is this really possible? Don't we all feel like just curling up into a ball, running away from people, or drowning our sorrows away with whatever distraction when the going gets tough? Yes, those emotions are valid but there are a few things that can help us look at the bright side.

In 2 Corinthians 1, we are immediately confronted with the truth that God is the God of comfort.

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV)

Only God can completely comfort us and rescue us from whatever we're going through. Apart from the assurance of His sovereignty, we are also assured of His compassion. Hence, whenever we face trials of any sort, our mindset should be that God is our sole source of comfort. Yes, people can become His instruments but everything is orchestrated by God.

But how about if I feel so ashamed to reach out to God because of my circumstances? Well, that's also a valid emotion but our response shouldn't be to draw away from the Lord. In times like this, we should all the more humble ourselves and seek the Lord. This is when we need God's grace the most. No matter how battered we are, no matter how lost we feel, God will always help us in our time of need.

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16, NIV)

Maybe this is so much easier for those who are so mature in the Lord, but what about me? Well, as common as discrimination is in this world, that's not something we should worry about when it comes to God. The moment we decide to seek His help, He will do so no matter what our circumstances. We may feel so distant from the Lord, so unworthy (aren't we all?), so battered, or whatever we try to call ourselves, God loves us so much and will redeem us. In 2 Corinthians 1:8, it says there that Paul (this is Paul we're talking about) himself despaired of life itself. Can you imagine someone like Paul reaching that point? But then in the following verse, he is reminded that he should rely on God's grace alone. Shouldn't we all rely on God's grace which is more than enough for us?

Remember, no matter how tempting it is to just fix ourselves using our own means, we should take the easy way and just approach the Lord with humility in our hearts. His grace is the best comfort we can ever receive.