“Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.”-( Philemon 1:7)
We don’t know much about Philemon, do we, but some of what we do know is wonderful and highly commendable, and achievable for all believers in Christ. A Life that has an effect on others for their highest good and Honoring God. A Life well spent…on OTHERS, for Jesus sake! But also we see Paul Recognizing, and acknowledging it and God preserving these words for future generations like you and me to show such a life. Both lives are well spent. Paul is not afraid or indifferent to what he saw, He tells him what he saw, knew, and the effect Phileomns life had on him and OTHERS!
Paul testifies to the REALITIES of Philemon not only through him to Paul but also to others! His LOVE was the cause of “great joy and encouragement “to Paul. And the reason? “BECAUSE”… his living specifically “Refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people,” and his love caused Paul to greatly delight! His choice to lovingly prefer others, was manifested in his refreshing the hearts of God’s people. He was involved not isolated in the lives of God’s people. In the midst of suffering the writer of Hebrews stirred up the people “And let us consider how we may SPUR INE ANOTHER ON TOWARD LOVE AND GOOD DEEDS,” not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but ENCOURAGING one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”-( Hebrews 10:24-25)
BY THE GRACE OF GOD we can all display Christ to others in the way we chose to treat them, lovingly preferring them. BUT how?
1.- DENY YOURSELF;
Which will mean a conscious choice to deny ourselves to prefer them for their good and the LORD’s Honor. So we must adopt the MINDSET OF CHRIST;
“DO NOTHING from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. DO NOT merely look out for your own personal interests, BUT ALSO for the interests of others. H AVE THE SAME ATTITUDE in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility],”-( Phil 2:3-5 Amplified Bible)
2.- DEPENDING ON THE HOLY SPIRIT TO EMPOWER;
“ For it is [not your strength, but it is] [a]God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.”-(Phil 2:13 Amplified Bible).
3.- DILIGENTLY LOOK TO RECOGNIZE, AFFIRM THE WORK OF GOD IN ANOTHER’S LIFE!
Paul was so good at acknowledging The Grace of God at work in believers’ lives and sharing with them what he saw in them that Testified to The New Birth!
To the Thessalonians, he wrote
“We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”-{1 Thess 1:2-3. Note how specific he is. he doesn’t deal in generalities but in REALITIES! Their work of faith, labor of love persevering in hope in Christ! If you look at Paul’s letters note how he begins his letters and specifically shares with them what work of God is manifested in and through them!
The writer of Hebrews wrote to a people who were suffering these words,
” And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”-{Heb 10:24-25. AGAIN note the specifics, when they meet together Look to stimulate, seeking to spur each other on to meet together, and when they meet what to do? “Love, Good deeds, encouragment!”
Paul in prison did not allow his confinement to keep him from reaching out. How did he do so? He wrote letters! -{Phil 1:12,14} He communicated through the means available. In our day we have so many means, social media, telephone, texts, letters, etc and to be able to be in the presence of people and when there we can look to BUILD THEM UP in their faith through RECOGNIZING the SPECIFIC WORK of God in their lives, and ACKNOWLEDGING IT TO THEM- To refresh, encourage build them up in their faith, spur them on to loving, good deeds and encouraging others! We don’t do a good job of this until usually, someone pases away and then the accolades come out! We need to change our MINDSET. Again the writer of Hebrews conveys, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”- DAILY ENCOURAGING OTHERS! TODAY? What would God have you and me do? Encourage others. Come alongside to strengthen them.
Paul wrote to Philemon and told him what an effect he had on his life, causing him great delight because of how he lovingly had refreshed the hearts of God’s people! He NOTICED, He AFFIRMED, COMMENDED him He just DID IT!
4.- DO IT- DON’T DELAY!
Be Encouraged you and I both can in the circumstances we find ourselves in. Look to Lovingly refresh the hearts of God’s people recognizing and sharing with them specifically the Grace of God evident in and through them and build them up in their faith o keep going, keep loving, keep preferring others, keep refreshing the hearts of God’s people.
So often we are deceived into thinking that God is not, can’t use us as we are not involved in some “significant ministry” or that we are “waiting on God” for some “Big Assignment” and in both cases are missing the assignment He has already entrusted us with namely, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will KNOW that you are MY DISCIPLES, if you have LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER.”-{John 13;34-35}.
Our Assignment is to LOVE one another and in doing so it is a TESTIMONY to not only you, Believers but To ALL people that you belong to Jesus!
- DENY YOURSELF- TO PREFER OTHERS FOR JESUS SAKE.
- DEPENDING ON THE HOLY SPIRIT TO EMPOWER YOU- AN HE WILL AS IT IS PLEASING TO GOD-{Phil 2:13}
- DILIGENTLY LOOK TO RECOGNIZE AND AFFIRM TO OTHERS OF THE WORK OF GOD IN THEIR LIVES!
- DO IT!
- DON’T DELAY!
Display the new life of Christ in and through you…