“…because I hear of your love and of the faith..”
Philemon 5 (ESV)
My first summer job was selling cherries at a road-side stand in Northern Michigan. The duties were simple: sit there, bag cherries, and sell them to customers who stop. To a 16 year old boy, it was the most boring job on the planet. Often I would leave my stand to see the sites, goof off at the beach, or simply find a tree and take a nap. Of course, being only 16 I thought I could do this unnoticed—until the boss came around one day (he noticed the profits at my stand had plummeted and came to investigate). Thus my days of selling cherries came to a screeching halt.
With only the foolishness a teenager can muster, I actually applied to work there again the next summer. They didn’t even need to look in my employee file, since my reputation preceded me. I was told something like, “based on your previous work history we do not feel you are a suitable asset to this company”. So much for my teenage dreams of financial security.
In the verse quoted above, the Apostle Paul indicates that Philemon’s reputation had preceded him—though in a way much more favorable than in my own situation with the cherries. Paul heard reports of Philemon’s love and loyalty to the ministry. We don’t have too many details, but the picture that emerges indicates that Philemon genuinely cared for and loved those in his small congregation. We see evidence here of a caring, nurturing pastor who demonstrated patience, gentleness, kindness to those under his care. Likewise, we sense in Philemon a man who held firm to his passion for God and strove to bring glory to God in every domain of life.
Sometimes it is said that Christians shouldn’t try to earn the favor of others. Such a sentiment is, of course, absolute nonsense and foreign to the Gospel. We shouldn’t live for the favor of others, certainly; but we must seek to earn their favor in order to demonstrate to them the wonderful message of salvation through Christ. Our reputation with others, particularly those of the outside world, is an important part of our ministry. Some serve as pastors, others as Sunday school teachers, and still others as prayer warriors. Yet all share in the common ministry of making our individual lives a lighthouse for the glory of God. Hebrews 11:2 urges elders in the church to “obtain a good report”. We do this most effectively by living out the gospel in our daily lives. D.L. Moody once said, “A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine”.
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