As Paul closed his letter to the church at Colosse, he mentioned several of his “fellow workers for the kingdom of God,” and he had this to say about them: “they have proved to be a comfort to me” (Col. 4:11). What a great compliment! But, it’s even better than that! The Greek word for “comfort” in this verse is paregoria (only here in 
the New Testament). It was used especially as a medical term, in the sense of soothing, solace, alleviating. From this word is derived our English word “paregoric,” a medicine that soothes and lessens pain. These brethren who came to Paul, while he was in a Roman prison, proved to be a medicine, which soothed and lessened his pain, discomfort and discouragement, just by their presence. What a great compliment!
Are you a paregoric Christian? Are you a brother or sister in Christ who is soothing to be around and offers solace and easing of pain to your fellow Christians? Some Christians seem to have a knack for providing a natural, soothing comfort in times of stress? Do you?