Sometimes you just can’t win. A man worked in a post office as a processor of mail that was sent to illegible addresses. One day a letter came to him addressed in shaky handwriting to God. He figured he better open it to see what it was all about. It read: “Dear God, I am an 83-year-old widow living on a small pension. Yesterday someone stole my purse. I had one hundred dollars in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension check. Next Sunday is Easter, and I have invited two friends over for dinner. Without the money, I have nothing to buy food with. I have no family. Please help me.”
The postal worker was touched and went around gathering donations to help this poor widow out. By the time he made the rounds, he had collected $96, which he put into an envelope and sent to the lady. The rest of the day the workers glowed with satisfaction that they had done a very good thing.
Easter came and went and another letter came addressed to God. The postal worker opened it. It read: “Dear God, how can I thank you for what you did for me. I was able to fix a lovely dinner for my friends. We had a very nice day, and I told my friends of your wonderful gift. By the way, there were four dollars missing. No doubt it was those thieving postal workers who stole it!”
Yes, sometimes you just can’t win. Yet showing mercy and goodness to others is something we should never give up on. No matter what our station in life may be, one area we all can improve for the Lord is to be a blessing to others. Onesiphorus was a man who truly lived up to his name. Paul was in prison, a place that kept most of his friends away. In those days it was not wise to let on that you were an acquaintance of one imprisoned. Yet Paul says of Onesiphorus, “He often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus” (2 Timothy 1:16-18).
There are those who live to be a hundred years old and spend their entire lives taking and never giving. Onesiphorus was different. It was obvious Onesiphorus went above and beyond the call of duty to visit Paul. Certainly locating someone in prison in those days was not quite the same as today. And not only did Onesiphorus search diligently for Paul, but when he found Paul, he also refreshed him, was not ashamed to be with him, and helped him in numerous ways.
Scripture includes many wonderful examples of being a blessing to others. Boaz was kind to Ruth, Nicanor and others served the early Christian church, and Dorcas spent her time sewing robes for the poor. Jesus mentions the destitute widow who gave her last penny for the work of the Lord.
Paul reminded the Corinthians, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. . . . This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” (2 Corinthians 9:6-12).
How can you be a blessing to those you meet today? A smile or two, words of encouragement, and small deeds of kindness go a long way. It is likely no one knew of the work of Onesiphorus, only Paul and the Lord. Yet it meant so much to Paul that he mentioned Onesiphorus again at the end of the book, reminding Timothy to greet his family. Proverbs chapter 11 reminds us of the joy we can have in being a blessing to those around us: “He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed” (11:25)
Personal goal: Make a list of ways you can be a blessing to those around you today.
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