DEC. 17, 2013
Love
And Support
Read: Philippians
4:10-18
I thank my God . . . for your fellowship in the gospel from the first
day until now. —Philippians
1:3,5
I
received this note from a friend serving in an orphanage in a developing
country: “Yesterday, as I was sitting at my office desk, I noticed a trail of
ants on the floor. As I followed it, I was shocked to see that thousands of
ants had blanketed the walls of our office building—inside and out. They
swarmed everything. Fortunately, one of the workers . . . set to work. Less
than an hour later, the ants were gone.”
After
telling this insect story, my friend wrote, “So, how was your day at work?”
Sometimes we need reminders of the needs of those who have left behind the
comforts and conveniences of home. God calls each of us to different paths of
service, and some paths are bumpy. Working in an office that is overrun by ants
doesn’t appeal to anyone, but my friend is not there for the perks.
She
and many other believers have had their hearts captured by Christ and think
that abandoning “essential” comforts and conveniences is a small thing to do to
honor Him who loves us. They need our support in the way Paul depended on his
friends in Philippi—for fellowship (Phil. 1:5), for finances (4:16), and for
care (4:18). When we encourage our friends who have left their familiar
environments to serve God elsewhere, we show our love for the One who sent
them.
Dear Lord, give me wisdom to know which of Your
workers in the fields of the world need my help.
Show me how my family can surround them
with encouragement and support.
The glory of life is to love, not to be loved; to give, not to
get; to serve, not to be served.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
