And
I Am Praying That You Will Put Into Action The Generosity
That
Comes From Your Faith In The Lord Jesus
And
Your Love For All Of God's People.
Scripture
Philemon
1
4 I always
thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, 5 because
I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for
all of God’s people.
6 And I am
praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from
your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we
have in Christ.
7 Your love
has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has
often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.
Observation
Philemon
was a slave owner, he was also a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We don't know the whole story but we do know that one of his slaves
must have escaped and somehow met the Apostle Paul and this slave,
Onesimus,
became a believer and was discipled and highly valued by Paul. Now
Paul was sending Onesimus back to his owner Philemon and Paul was
asking Philemon to accept him back as a brother in Christ!
Do
you have people that you refuse to be around? If they are going to be
at the same place, at the same function, then do you intentionally
not go. If that is the case then I am afraid that you are not putting
into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you
understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.
What
you are doing is called holding a grudge. You are the one who suffers
not the person that you are intentionally distancing yourself from.
The
Apostle Paul was asking Philemon to accept Onesimus back as a brother
in Christ. Philemon could have Onesimus beaten or put to death
because he had run away from his owner. Onesimus had wronged his
owner, but Paul was asking that the owner forgive Onesimus and
generously accept him back as a brother in Christ.
If
you are still saying, “I forgive them but ...” Then I would say
that your forgiveness is not very generous! And I would add that you
are probably still holding a grudge!
Let
go of the hurt and generously gift them with complete forgiveness!
Application
I
will put into action
the generosity that comes from my faith as I understand and
experience all the good things I have in Christ.
How
about you? Will you be stingy or generous with your gift of
forgiveness?
Prayer
Heavenly
Father, help me to forgive quickly and completely when people hurt
me. Help me to love people deeply and sacrificially. Help me to
forgive people the same way that You have forgiven me. Thank You for
each and every one of our friends. We are blessed. You have brought
so many wonderful people into our lives. Bless them, Lord. May Your
face shine on them brightly today!
Daily
Bible Reading: Isaiah 6,7; 2 Chronicles 26,27; Philemon
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