Two things (among many) that I've never understood: (1) The phrase "I never could have made it without...." (most of the time, this is an exaggeration. They would indeed have kept living. (2) The well loved verse in Hebrews 4:15, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." I know I'm the odd one perhaps, but these have befuddled me for years.
Until recently..as I have watch people around me whom I loved experience severe hardship. Here's my attempt to help us understand how such a truth from Scripture helps to explain the common phrase, "I never could have made it..."
When we suffer, we feel alone, like no one else can understand. After all, no one can truly experience another's pain firsthand. In one respect, we must all face our own sufferings alone. Yet, we also all know that we're not perfect, strong enough, smart enough, or whatever to master life's trials. We know we're still like lost children sometimes mystified by the "big world". This is when we can easily despair. IF no one has been where I'm at, felt what I've felt, then maybe I will fail, maybe I will die, maybe I will... Therefore, knowing that someone understands --EVEN IF they can't take way our problems--does help. At least we know someone else has made it through or is with you working through it. You're not alone. Therefore, there's a trace of hope. There's someone else who cares about us because they've experienced this part of life with us.
For those who look to Christ, this is a great comfort. One man has experience what we have faced and made it through by the grace and power of God. This is why we can sing everyday with psalmist, "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Ps. 118:24).
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 says, "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 affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too."
