At just 25 verses, The Letter of Paul to Philemon is one of the shortest books in the Bible, but it’s full of valuable things to think about. Consider just one tidbit for today. In Philemon 7, Paul (“a prisoner for Christ Jesus”) writes to Philemon (“our beloved fellow worker”):
I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
Hearts refreshed. Philemon, an ordinary man, had been a source of real refreshment to the hearts of others. How? Love. Demonstrations of love. Speaking with love. Serving with love. Welcoming with love. Forgiving with love. “I hear of your love,” Paul writes in Philemon 5, “and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints.”
It’s not hard to connect those dots. Faith in the Lord Jesus plus demonstrations of love had led to much joy and comfort, resulting in the refreshment of hearts. Now, Paul’s appeal in this letter?
Refresh my heart in Christ. (20)
It would require humility, sacrifice, and forgiveness, but Philemon could continue to serve as a source of refreshment to the hearts of Paul, Onesimus, the saints in Colossae and beyond by embodying the love and grace of Jesus. And herein lies the connection of those same dots all the way to you and me today. Faith in the Lord Jesus plus demonstrations of sacrificial love continue to provide much joy and comfort, resulting in the gracious refreshment of the hearts around us. I’ve been blessed with a new day. You’ve been granted a fresh slate full of opportunities and challenges.
Whose heart could use some refreshment today?
Who seems parched for joy and comfort?
My heart has been poured into by so many others, where is my next opportunity to pour into the heart of someone else?
…the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
The world already has far, far too many drains on hearts and strains on spirits. Let’s do better. Let’s be better. The gospel changes everything. May it continue to change, inspire, and empower us to be sources of refreshment and encouragement to the hearts around us today.