You're Qualified

May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus. (2 Timothy 1:16-18 NIV)

The word “community” is being thrown around with great frequency these days. It’s what every church strives to create, and with good reason. Both Old and New Testaments reveal a God who calls into being a people for himself: Israel and Church. Our God is intent on forming a peculiar community that reflects his nature and brings honor to his name. The theological implications of this are many, but beneath all the theology is a simple truth. The life of faith is hard and we will not live it well if left to ourselves. To walk faithfully with Jesus we will need others around us. We need the gift of encouragement that comes from a community of believers.

Encouragement is something that everybody needs and anybody can give. Our need for encouragement is not something that we’re consciously aware of on a daily basis. We may go long stretches without a specific word of affirmation or act of support from others. But eventually we’ll find ourselves up against something that we can’t do by ourselves. Even when it’s something that no one else can do for us, we know we can’t make it alone. When a person is grieving, no one else can do that for them. But no grieving person can endure the season of grief in isolation. They may not want others trying to relieve them of their grief, but they will surely accept a word or gesture of encouragement, some simple assurance that they are not alone, not forgotten.

The power of encouragement is seen in the experience of the apostle Paul. The mighty missionary-preacher-church planter spoke tender words of blessing for a man barely known or mentioned in the New Testament.

Onesiphorous is mentioned only one other time in scripture. Still, this obscure individual is spoken of as the source of great encouragement to the apostle. Nothing is said of his credentials, no explanation offered as to his qualifications for such a ministry. What Paul reports to us isn’t a spectacular deed, but ordinary friendship. Onesiphorus was not ashamed of Paul’s chains. He was not at all hesitant to associate himself with the prisoner or the prisoner’s faith. He refreshed Paul, he sought him out diligently in Rome, he rendered service to Paul in Ephesus. Even the powerful Paul needed encouragement, and the no-name Onesiphorous was the one who gave it.

If you’ll pay attention, there is surely someone around you today who needs encouragement. You may have to look or listen closely, for those who need it may go to great lengths to disguise the need. Still, they are there – in the place where you work, where you buy groceries, where you get you hair cut, where you workout. In each of these places, someone is craving the slightest word of encouragement or act of kindness.

And the person who can give it is you. You’re qualified.