“I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people. And I am praying that you will put in action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.” Philemon 1:4-7 NLT

Faith and Love in Action

We went to the Oregon Coast to meet friends we have known for over 30 years and to do some salmon fishing. I had been looking forward to this trip for a long time. As soon as we got here my husband got sick. I mean, really sick. We even spent a day in the Emergency Room. I wasn’t angry but I couldn’t understand why God allowed this in our lives. Our friends took a week off work to spend time with us and we weren’t able to spend any quality time with them.

These two precious saints spent their week ministering to us in any way they could. They fed us, prayed with us and spent time with me as my husband was in bed all week.

When I read Philemon this morning, God showed me that these friends, because of their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love for God’s people, exhibited Jesus’ generous love in action. Their love gave us much joy and comfort, for their kindness refreshed our hearts. God taught me through the love and actions of others that we may not know all God is doing in our lives or in the lives of others, but we MUST be Jesus’ love in action for others, all the time, no matter our circumstances. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16,17)

Let us be women who “refresh the hearts of God’s people.” Let us be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and look for ways to love others.

“Lord, help us to exhibit Your love through our actions. Please help us not to use excuses like being too busy to show love to our sisters. I pray that you give us Your heart for others, that You would put others in front of us that need a touch from you and that we would be obedient to love as You want them to be loved. Amen.”