“But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.”
2 Corinthians 7:6 (NLT)
Paul describes how in Macedonia he and his companions were pressed on every side—trouble outside and fear within. Yet when Titus arrived, everything changed. His presence, his encouragement, and the good report he carried from the Corinthians shifted Paul’s heart from fear to joy. Verse 7 sums it up: “I was filled with joy.”
This passage shows us that God often answers our prayers for encouragement through people. If we close ourselves off, we may resist the very comfort God is trying to send. You can stay stuck in fear, or you can open the door and receive His encouragement through others.
Paul also reminds us that godly sorrow brings about repentance. Though his letter caused pain for a moment, that sorrow produced fruit: earnestness, zeal, a readiness to do what is right. That repentance restored Paul’s confidence in the church, refreshed Titus, and ultimately turned sorrow into joy.
When we let godly sorrow do its work, it doesn’t crush us—it draws us back to God. And when we let other believers walk beside us, God uses them to lift us from discouragement to joy. Like Paul, we can move from fear to complete confidence when we open ourselves to God’s comfort through people and embrace repentance that leads us closer to Christ.