Philemon
Who did you want to be like when you were younger? When I was a child, I wanted to be Luke Skywalker, from Star Wars, and Superman.
I thought Luke was so cool, the unknown farm-boy who became a hero, flying spaceships and having a lightsabre!
I loved Superman too: being able to fly, incredible strength, and he got to wear his underwear on the outside!
As I became a teenager and was introduced to pop music, I then wanted to sing like Freddie Mercury and play drums like Larry Mullen Jr (from U2).
I think seeing positive things in others and wanting to emulate that, is a good thing. As a young church leader, I benefited greatly from observing mature leaders, absorbing as much as I could from them.
The majority of the New Testament letters are written by a man called Paul. When we first hear of him he is anti-Christians, and was doing all he could to stop them.
However, after a ‘divine encounter’ he was changed and became an incredible ambassador for God.
Amongst the letters in the New Testament is a very small, personal letter called Philemon. It was written by Paul to his friend, Philemon, asking that he receive back a former slave of his named Onesimus, who had run away to Paul.
Onesimus had become a Christian, and was now a ‘brother’ and not a slave. Paul urged Philemon to receive him back that way, and wrote…
“So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.”
Paul had a dramatic conversion, and afterwards was welcomed by the very people he was seeking to destroy.
It seems to me that the love and acceptance that was shown to Paul is the motivation behind his actions here. In other words, he was seeking to copy what he had experienced being done to him.
What positive actions have you seen in others that you can emulate?
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader