But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you; whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts. (Ephesians 6:21-22)
We may not always be as fruitful as we might wish to be, but we can always be as faithful as we want to be. Tychicus was marked by faithfulness. But notice the source of his faithfulness, "in the Lord." It was the experience of the grace of God that enabled him to extol the glory of God and express the goodness of God in his faithful ministry.
The force that generates faithfulness is accessed through prayer. Being, "in the Lord" is not only the source of our faithfulness, it is the sphere of it--as we abide in a vital connection, the flow of Christ's life into us becomes the favor of His life through us. Paul had just begged the believers in Ephesus to pray for him, and now will send Tychicus with that prayer request. E-mail updates were not available!
If I am faithful in ministering before the Lord in supplication, then I can be faithful in ministering for the Lord in service. You cannot speak for God publicly, until you hear from God privately. Doubtless, Tychicus did.
He was, "a beloved brother" to Paul. Brothers pray for each other and with one another. They bare their heart and share their burdens. They come before the God of all comfort, to ask Him to bestow that comfort on those who might otherwise be crushed by a load of care.
So, let us seek to be faithful today. If we are to be, we must be faithful to ask God to make us so. Our strength is never sufficient, but His grace always is!
No comments:
Post a Comment