19 Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I also may be encouraged when I hear news about you...25 But I considered it necessary to send you Epaphroditus—my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier, as well as your messenger and minister to my need— 26 since he has been longing for all of you and was distressed because you heard that he was sick. 27 Indeed, he was so sick that he nearly died. However, God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have one grief on top of another. 28 For this reason, I am very eager to send him so that you may rejoice when you see him again and I may be less anxious. 29 Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with all joy and hold men like him in honor, 30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus were tight with the Apostle Paul. Understand, Paul had a lot of people in his life. Scores of people. Hundreds of people. Maybe thousands of people. But he only had a precious few that he would consider his closest friends. These two guys were among that small circle of men.
Close, intimate, brother-like friends come all too rarely in our lives.
So why would Paul send these buddies far away? Why wouldn't he keep them close? Keep the team together? Don't break up a good thing, Paul!
Paul knew that he would have all of eternity to enjoy the friendship and companionship of Timothy and Epaphroditus. Right now, this side of heaven, there was work to be done. And he was more committed to expanding the church of God globally than he was about maintaining and enjoying awesome friendships.
We sent some of our best friends to Cedar Falls to establish Candeo. We miss them! But there is a fresh expression of God's church that is about to burst onto the scene in Cedar Falls, Waterloo, UNI, and the whole region. We'll spend a lot of time in heaven meeting new friends and swapping stories with the friends we said a glad farewell to!
Father, help us not to hold back our hearts or our friends from You and Your work. Protect us from greed and gathering up for ourselves. We are grateful for good friends. They are good gifts. May we give them to You and all You would do for our good and Your glory. Amen.
