The story of Onesimus is one of an escaped slave who likely stole from his master and then, through divine providence, ended up meeting Paul and trusting in Jesus. He was in an awkward situation where he now needed to make restitution with his master and Paul’s friend, Philemon. So Paul sent this letter to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus to request that the slave be set free. Paul would pay for the damages on Onesimus’ behalf, and his life could now be used for a greater, spiritual purpose. In a gentle, non-forceful way, Paul was challenging Philemon to love God and to do the right thing. The truth is that we cannot force people to do what we think is right. Instead, Paul implored him to think about the situation from a Godly perspective. His full expectation was that Philemon would do what was right – he just needed a reminder of what that was.
June 3, 2012
June 2, 2012
Remember Whom You Work For (Colossians)
Can you remember the worst job you ever had? For me, I think it was working in an ice cream factory. I had just graduated from high school, and I needed to find a “real” summer job. My brother and I ended up there working on the assembly line. My brother would tell you that I don’t have too much to complain about since they moved me to help in the office just a few weeks after working in the factory. He, on the other hand, did not share the same luxury. Nonetheless, working in the factory wasn’t a glorious job while, and the tediousness of it wasn’t something I looked forward to every day. Most of us have probably had jobs that are less that glamorous at some point in time, and I think that’s why Paul’s instructions for slaves in Colossians is of such value. Slaves have unbelievable cruddy jobs because they don’t even get paid. They work day in and day out for a slave master who typically doesn’t care for their welfare. But Paul instructed them that they were to work as if unto the Lord. In other words, he said that they needed to remember that they were working for God and not for man. This truth put a whole new perspective on their situation because they were no longer concerned about pleasing their bosses but about pleasing their Lord, Jesus Christ. After all, He’s the one who will be giving out the true rewards later. So how’s your work? Are you doing the best job you can possibly do? Are you pleasing God with your work? He is your true employer, so make sure you do your best.
