Learn from Job’s friends and be there for them in their suffering.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada. And I want you to know that I love reading through the book of Job – I do. In the second chapter, we’re told that when Job’s three friends heard about his troubles, they went to “sympathize with him and comfort him…They sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.” Did you get that? Job’s friends learned to listen and abide beforeoffering their opinions. And we can learn from the story of Job’s friends. If today, you know someone who is going through hard times, practice doing what Job’s friends did: be by your friend’s side; sit long with her or him; let them vent a little and then listen. Let your presence speak the loudest. It’s called compassion. “Com” meaning with, and “passion” meaning suffering. Be with your friend in his suffering. It’s the best lesson Job’s friends have taught us.
© Joni and Friends