2 Timothy 1:15-18
You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because 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.
Paul mentioned the household of Onesiphorus, they were not ashamed of suffering for the Lord. When Paul was in prison, they did not treat Paul with the kick them when they're down attitude like the others, and they did not neglect him like the silent majority, instead they searched hard for Paul, and ministered him in the prison, such that he was refreshed in his prison life, this type of love is what the church needs today.
The Lord said to certain people in His second coming, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." On the contrary, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for the Lord. Since God treasures this type of ministry, we should also treasure the same in the church. It's very easy to put icing on the cake in the church, but it's hard to give relief to those who are sorely in need, in fact nothing like the love to give relief for the sorely needed can better people's experience of the love of God.
On the other hand, Onesiphorus did not minister Paul all by himself, his entire household ministered him altogether, what a wonderful testimony it is. It was probably not by chance that the household came together. Although our families live under the same roof, every one carries one's own agenda. When a person wants to serve the Lord, it is either the wife or the husband not willing to follow or the children having no desire. But Onesiphorus not only serve God by himself, he led the entire household to serve God, and serving the saints, it really is an example for us. Where are your family members when you serve God? It's not to intensify your guilty feelings, instead it is to remind you to pray for your family members, teach them, believing that God can bring the same example of Onesiphorus' ministry to your household.
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