Love’s Appeal

“Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you--since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus--I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me.” Philemon 1:8-17

When faced with a prickly issue in his day, the Apostle Paul’s actions charted a course for us to follow today. You will notice that he did not resort to “You ought to” nor did he mention anything about “You owe it to me” or “Will you do this little favor for me - just this once?”

Paul stood on principle - that of the preeminence of love. His inspired words found in 1 Corinthians 13 clearly indicate the quality of godly love. How do you respond to aggravating circumstances or the unkind and self-assertive actions of others?

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails...” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

This world knows little of this kind of love. Some seldom or never see it exemplified in anyone. Few have the joy of experiencing its liberating effects. Will you today allow God to touch others with this type of love? The world speaks of “true love” yet does not know the One Who is love. Our responsibility and joyful service is to be an expression of His love to those we meet.