Be Still and Know - Thank You For The Gift Of Faithful Brothers And Sisters Within Your Church

(from www.premierchristianradio.com)

1. Colossians 4:7-9
   
   
   
   
   'Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work. I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people.'
   You learn a lot about people through the way in which they speak about others. There are some who seem to moan about everyone they know. But I love the way in which Paul speaks so warmly of his friends and acquaintances. Tychicus was clearly someone whom he trusted completely and who gave Paul wonderful support in his ministry. He is mentioned five times in the New Testament and always receives glowing praise from Paul. In his second letter to Timothy, we learn that the apostle sent Tychicus to take over from Timothy in Ephesus, so that Timothy could be released to spend some time with Paul before his death.
   It’s vital that we have people in our lives whom we can trust completely. That’s fundamental to the way in which the Church, the body of Christ, works. Like Paul, we need to celebrate those who stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us. I thank God for a succession of trustworthy people who have been a blessing to me throughout my ministry. Some have had high-profile roles and their contribution has been clear for all to see, but many others have simply and quietly got on with the work that God has called them to do. I thank God for all of their input into my life.
   
   
   The family of God includes all kinds of people, and I am so glad that Paul made reference to Onesimus. We get to know this man better in Paul’s letter to Philemon. Onesimus was a slave and it appears that something had occurred in his relationship with Philemon, his master, and he had run away to Rome. Wonderfully, Onesimus became a follower of Christ there and Paul identifies him as a faithful and beloved brother. No doubt there were plenty of raised eyebrows from the Colossian Christians when they read that. They only knew that Onesimus had run away, and perhaps viewed him with suspicion. But all of that changed when he became a Christian brother.
   As we serve God, we should thank him for those who have proved to be faithful and dependable over the years, but also remember that he is continually bringing new people into his family.
   
   
   
   
   Question: If you had been in the church in Colossae, how do you think you would have responded to the news that Onesimus had become a Christian?
   Prayer: Loving God, thank you for the gift of faithful brothers and sisters within your Church. Help me always to be faithful and encouraging to them. Amen