When helping doesn't help

An injured man was in the hospital recovering from wounds. When his friend visited he remarked, “You must have made God mad for this to happen to you.” In a different scenario, two friends were talking; one complained to the other that he feels like his life is falling apart. His friend replied, “You must be under a curse. Are you tithing?” People who say these things might mean well, but ultimately their words bring more pain. In the book of Job, three friends go to comfort Job during his mourning but end up blaming him for his suffering. If we are to comfort each other during affliction, let’s not fool ourselves into believing that our words will help. Some people just need a hug or our shoulder to cry on.