A Letter From One Believer To His Christian Friend: A Devotional Thought From Paul’s Letter To Philemon

Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my heart in the Lord.     Philemon 20

Paul’s use of brother bespeaks the faith family relationship of all Christians. Those who trust in Jesus as Savior are all incorporated into God’s family, and we, literally, renew the actual family relationship of humans descended from the same physical line, in addition to being new creatures from the same spiritual line. We are in Christ! As such those to whom we minister and with whom we fellowship in church worship, and other Christian relationships, become people in whom we delight, people who fill our lives with joy, people we love so much they can be described as Paul does the Christians of Thessalonica when he says “For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thess. 2:20). He loves them so much that when they express their faith in their daily lives they bring him glory and joy and his soul sings and soars because of them. He loves all those who love the Lord in the same way, like Philemon. And he writes to Philemon to live in such a way, particularly in the context of this letter he is writing to Philemon, that Paul will have joy because of Philemon’s good deeds. Refresh my heart, he says.

Part of the reality of Christian faith and relationship is that our life actions bless and refresh, or dishearten, our Christian family and friends. What we do is impacting not only our own individual lives, but those who are connected to us through our mutual faith in Christ. So the challenge is: live so that the pastor, the church, and other Christians will be refreshed, so that you will be a joy to them, and a glory to God.