“The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.” – 2 Timothy 1:16
Encouragement is one of the greatest gifts Jesus followers have to give to each other. In times of difficulty, loss, or tragedy, God desires His people to encourage and comfort those who are suffering. In the midst of Paul’s unfortunate and frustrating imprisonment, it appeared as if everyone had abandoned him, but there was one faithful brother, Onesiphorus, who stood by and “refreshed’ him while he was in prison. If we don’t have other people in our lives, speaking edifying words of encouragement and reminding us of our hope in Jesus, life will inevitably run us into the ground. But when we have a community of believers doing life alongside us, we pull through the day refreshed and encouraged. You are not designed to do life alone!
Is there someone in your life going through a hardship who you can “refresh” today?
