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b'READ: JOB 2:11-13; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7; 1 PETER 1:3-9\\n\\n\\n\\nHave you ever tried to cheer someone up, only to accidentally make them more upset? I\\u2019ve had times when I wanted to help someone who wasn\\u2019t doing well mentally or physically, but when I tried to say something, I felt like I only made the situation worse.\\n\\n\\n\\nProverbs 27:14 says, \\u201cIf anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.\\u201d It\\u2019s a funny proverb, but it reminds us that our good intentions can be taken the wrong way when we speak up in the wrong situation. It can be hard to know how to help someone who is hurting.\\n\\n\\n\\nJob\\u2019s story in the Bible is a great example of how NOT to help a friend. Job went through tons of hard times: he lost his family, health, and wealth. For a while, his friends sat with him in silence. But when they spoke up, their bad advice and false accusations hurt Job even more. So how can we love and support others when we have no idea what to say?\\n\\n\\n\\n(1) Be present. As the saying goes, \\u201cActions can speak louder than words.\\u201d In the hardest times, just sitting with someone and listening to them reminds them they\\u2019re not alone. Jesus sits with us in our sorrow, and our presence with others can remind them of Jesus\\u2019s presence with them.\\n\\n\\n\\n(2) Mourn with them. Don\\u2019t try to compare the situation or make it seem better than it is. In John 11, Jesus wept at the death of a friend, Lazarus, moments before He raised that friend back to life. Jesus didn\\u2019t skip over the sadness or mourning. Sadness and hardship are part of living in a world broken by sin (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8), and we don\\u2019t have to be afraid or ashamed of feeling that sadness and hardship.\\n\\n\\n\\n(3) Pray for them, and offer to pray with them. This can be a powerful reminder of God\\u2019s loving care toward us, especially when we are hurting, as well as an opportunity to process our feelings with God.\\n\\n\\n\\nWe live in a broken world, but through Jesus\\u2019s death and resurrection, God gives us hope and strength through hard times (John 16:33). He is with us in our suffering, and He will return to end all suffering and heal all brokenness forever. We can rest in this sure hope\\u2026and share it with others. \\u2022 Abby Ciona\\n\\n\\n\\n\\u2022 Has anyone ever come alongside you during a hard time? What was it like?\\n\\n\\n\\n\\u2022 Consider spending some time in prayer, asking God who you could come alongside today.\\n\\n\\n\\nRejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15 (NIV)'