Today's Passage - Ephesians 6:21-22

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Ephesians 6:21-22   "Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you."   Paul really knew how to encourage and comfort others. He knew that the Ephesian church really cared about him, so he sent Tychicus to their midst to encourage and comfort them. Such comforting in the Lord is one of the virtues that the church today really needs to restore. Nowadays, it's hard to have a true friend who can comfort each other. The typical friendship today is like the relationship between Job and his three children. Not only that they didn't comfort Job when he was in despair, they actually made Job feel worse by admonishing him. Therefore, Job said later that if anyone's is in despair and has forsaken God, his friends ought to treat him with love and grace. When a person is in despair, real friends can bring comfort. In our daily life, do we see many people in trouble and despair? Are you truly comforting them? We don't need to look far, because even inside the church there are many who are in despair and misery. Did we comfort them in the Lord in love?   So how should we comfort others? First of all, we need to sense how others are feeling. When a child is growing up, when would they know how to comfort the parents? No matter how old they are, some of them will never be able to comfort their parents, because they can never sense the feeling of their parents. Sensing their feeling doesn't mean we agree with their view or we must do they expect us to. When we sense what others feel, we make them feel respected and understood, because people don't need another set of rules or expectations, but they just want to be understood and accepted.   Next, when we comfort others, we must care for them with action. If we sense their feeling but never express our understanding to them, they will never be comforted by us. Real caring doesn't take major actions, sometimes a quick call, a little car, or a visitation can comfort others far more than you can imagine. This scripture passage talked about how Paul and brothers and sisters at the Ephesian church cared for one another during a time when transportation was extremely scarce. Living in the information age, when all channels of communication is well-developed, we have no reason not to express our care for others with action. Are there people who need to be cared for around you? All we need is the determination to take action, and we will bring forth the momentum of love in our daily life.                                                                            Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, please open our eyes and see those around us who are in need. Send me out to the people so that I may spread the love of Christ among them. Remind me right now to share your love through action through a phone call, a greeting card or a home visit. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!