Earlier this week on my For the Journey Facebook page, I promised a sneak peek of my next 30-Day Devotional “From the Writings of Paul.” Writing it was a long and at times frustrating journey, but the end of it was pure joy. I hope to start taking orders next week if all goes as planned. But, in the meantime, Day 26 is included below as a sneak peek. Enjoy and God bless!
Hard Things
“For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?” -Philemon 1:15-16
Philemon 1:1-21
I think, if you’ve been a Christian for any significant length of time, you will agree with the statement: Sometimes being a Christian means doing hard things. That was certainly true for Onesimus, the runaway slave, and for Philemon, the master.
Let’s start with Onesimus. Longing for freedom, Onesimus wronged his master, likely by stealing money to finance his getaway, and fled. No doubt by divine design, he met a man named Paul who both led him to the Lord and knew his master well. Forgiven and made new by God, Onesimus still had to do the hard thing. He still had to go back to his master. And, he had to do so knowing Paul could write him a pretty letter but Philemon could still opt for having him brutally punished or even put to death.
Then, there was Philemon, a man of love and faith to Jesus and to all saints. Though Paul didn’t order him to, he asked Philemon to show love to the slave who wronged him, to give up his right to punish and to receive Onesimus as a brother in Christ. Though it wasn’t an order, it wasn’t a gentle ask either. Paul told Philemon he had confidence that he would do more than he said. Paul believed Philemon would go above and beyond with love, forgiveness, and grace even though he’d been wronged. He believed Philemon would do the hard thing.
It’s not easy to humble ourselves and right a wrong, nor is it easy to show love and extend grace when we’ve been wronged. But, sometimes, being a Christian means doing hard things. After all, Christ certainly did hard things for us.
Do the hard things.
For the Journey Literature 