True Christians live and die as others do, but we are never alone, especially in times of despair. God the Father is forever merciful in His care for us and in providing comfort. Many times, He provides that comfort through members of His church. All Christians have a responsibility to comfort others with words of hope regarding God's promise of resurrection to eternal life and the benefits of overcoming sin. Let us comfort one another with these words.

Let us consider one another to stir up love and good works, as instructed in Hebrews 10:24-25, by not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, but exhorting one another, especially as the Day approaches. Exhortation, in this sense, means to call near, to invite or implore, offering comfort, consolation, and earnest advice. It is an act of love to comfort a brother or sister, to urge them to keep fighting the good fight, or to plead with them to choose a better path. When we see someone losing hope, we can implore them to remember God's sovereignty, His providence, and His love toward His children. If someone is stuck in a repeating cycle, we can invite them to view things differently, perhaps by recalling a scripture or principle that might help. Exhortation is not dictatorial or meddlesome but an invitation and entreaty, focused outwardly on helping other members of the Body. Its purpose is to aid a brother or sister in walking toward the Kingdom of God, not to make ourselves feel good. True exhortation stems from God's work in our lives, providing the experience, understanding, empathy, and foresight to offer wisdom to others. When we exhort, we are reminded of what God has done in our lives, His character, and His standards, which stirs us spiritually and strengthens us against willful sin. Even if the outcome of our exhortations is unknown, we trust in God to sort it out, knowing that helping others in their spiritual race also helps us in ours.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. God provides comfort to us so that we, in turn, can comfort others, acting as conduits of the relief and encouragement we receive from Him. Comfort, whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, brings relief from pain, lessens fear and anxiety, and offers hope and security. Even with the most broken of backgrounds, God can and will comfort His children if we seek Him. As we are comforted by the Father and the Son, They can use us to comfort other members of the Family of God. Because Their love has been poured out in our hearts, we can share that love, including comfort, with others. We learn to comfort others because God comforts us, and as we take on His image, we relate to others in the way the Father and the Son relate to each other. Through drawing closer to God, we overcome barriers that hinder connection, learning to trust Him and conquer fears and anxieties. As we experience God's forbearance, we learn to forbear with others, and through the faith He gives, we let go of the need to control, trusting Him with our lives. God is offering to be our support, our encouragement, our relief, and our security. Until we allow ourselves to receive what He offers, often through other people as conduits, we will not fully know the experience of being comforted. Yet once we experience this comfort, giving to others becomes easier because we understand the relief we are offering, always remembering that this cannot be done without the God of all comfort.