Recently, a childhood friend of mine reached out to me to tell me he was, for the first time, reading his Bible and seeking to please the Lord with his life truly. He reported that he has been worshipping with the Lord’s church in the city where he lives and that he is not satisfied just being a “person sitting in the pews” anymore. I am full of joy over that report. As our conversation progressed, I felt a heavy weight lift from my heart. It was an emotional weight, one that existed whenever I thought about this friend of mine because, for years, he had been adrift living life his own way. He expressed to me that he has realized something important: his way was not working and would never work; he must do what God says.
He encouraged me by expressing his desire to please the Lord, and I was not the only one. He asked me for another phone number because he had others with whom he needed to share this news.
This friend has reminded me of two people. The first is Paul, the apostle, who wrote these words in 2 Corinthians 12:28: “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.” Paul’s concern was especially for their spiritual welfare. He felt the weight of concern for souls. Every Christian carries that weight, and it should push us to prayer for souls around us, both the saved and the lost. Our prayer should result in efforts to share the gospel and lead people toward salvation through Jesus.
The other person this friend reminded me of is Epaphroditus. In Philippians 2:26, Epaphroditus had made a delivery to Paul from Philippi. Along the way, he had become terribly ill. The Philippian church heard about his illness and Epaphroditus knew they knew.
When his health was returned to him, he became concerned for the Philippians. He did not want to cause them unnecessary concern about his condition since he was well. So, Paul sent Epaphroditus back to Philippi to set their minds at ease over him. This friend of mine reminds me of Epaphroditus because he contacted me and others with no other intention than to set our minds at ease concerning his spiritual direction. He wanted only to share the news of his renewed desire to serve the Lord.
In a desire to remain humble, some are tempted to share none of their spiritual victories, to keep silent about the good they have accomplished by following the way of the Lord. If you fall into that category, remind yourself of the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” People need to see and hear about your good works. Contact people to tell them what good you are doing! It is God’s intention for the church to be noisy with excitement over the gospel and openly joyful as they follow God’s direction.
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