When Others' Pain Becomes a Benchmark

I have noticed that in Thanksgiving to God, we have cultivated a way to thank Him. It is very common to find church members who use the pain of others to express their gratitude to God or even emphasize their need for God's protection.

For instance, it comes in phrases like this, “Dear God, I'm grateful for journey mercies, the same road I passed was the road others passed, and they died.”

Our thanks to God shouldn't be on the pain and misfortune of other people. I also want to put a reminder to you that whatever happened to that person could have been you.

Thanking God and referencing the pain and struggles of other people can unintentionally place us in a mindset of fear rather than compassion.

We will eventually start seeing people's misfortune solely as a reminder of what we don't want for ourselves and this can create a distance from the suffering of others rather than a shared desire for healing.

Phillipians 2:4 encourages, let each of you look not only to his own interest, but also the interest of others.

A balanced way will be that we should balance our gratitude with a prayer of grace and help for people going through tough times.

Instead of saying, “The same road I passed was the road somebody else passed, and they died,” we should say, “Dear God, thank You for Your protection over me, and please watch over those who walk a similar path and keep them safe.”

By praying for others, we create a spirit of empathy that strengthens not our faith alone, but our sense of compassion for other people.

Always remember that everyone will face death. If you thank God because somebody died, and you didn't, when you eventually die, somebody else will thank God that they didn't die and yet, you died.

Let's elevate our prayers beyond self-preservation, but towards love that seeks the well-being of others.

In Galatians 6:2, we are called to carry each other’s burden. Let’s carry it dutifully.