1 From the church leader.[a]
To my dear friend Gaius.
I love you because we follow the truth, 2 dear friend, and I pray all goes well for you. I hope you are as strong in body, as I know you are in spirit. 3 It makes me very happy when the Lord’s followers come by and speak openly of how you obey the truth. 4 Nothing brings me greater happiness than to hear that my children[b] are obeying the truth.
Working Together
5 Dear friend, you have always been faithful in helping other followers of the Lord, even the ones you didn’t know before. 6 They have told the church about your love. They say you were good enough to welcome them and to send them on their mission in a way God’s servants deserve. 7 When they left to tell others about the Lord, they decided not to accept help from anyone who wasn’t a follower. 8 We must support people like them, so we can take part in what they are doing to spread the truth.
Reflection
I was having, not a bad day, but a meh day. I was just feeling tired, I was hungry, little things were going wrong, and I hadn’t showered in a few days. I needed to stop into the grocery store for one necessity and of course a few non-necessities.
As I was leaving, a woman stopped me and said, “I’m sorry to bother you, but, I love your braid! Can you tell me how you did that?”
Wow! I did my best to explain, and we parted ways within a few minutes, but holy cow did that turn my day around.
A simple compliment can really turn a day or a even week around for someone. It provides a moment of reprieve from the pressures of self-doubt, societal standards, and offers a moment of healing for the receiver. Since I’ve come to that realization I have tried to be better about overcoming my own shyness and giving people compliments when I can.
It means a lot knowing someone is in your corner, even if it’s just for one moment on a random day. That’s what this scripture feels like.
It’s not as random as the encounter I described, but the sentiment is similar.
It doesn’t take much, but it can be invaluable to both parties to express gratitude and validation for those who deserve some love.
In a world as tough as the one we live in right now, let’s take every opportunity we can to share joy, express some love, and show camaraderie. The only way we can get through tough times is to support each other in whatever ways we can, even if kind words are the only thing we have to offer.
by Ashley Bowler
For Pondering and Prayer
Have you ever left an opportunity on the table to give someone a compliment? Why did that happen? Are you shy like me? Were things just moving too quickly? Is there a way that you can make it happen next time? Overcome your fear, make moves even if it’s a bit inconvenient? How could that help the person receiving the compliment? How can it help you? How does sharing a word of validation or support spread the of love of Christ?
Dear Lord, Thank You for reminding us of the power found in simple words of kindness and encouragement. Help us to see others through Your loving eyes, to speak truth and life into those around us, and to never miss a chance to uplift a weary heart. May our compliments be more than flattery—they be reflections of Your love shining through us. Strengthen us to spread joy and unity wherever we go, so that in every word and action, others might see Your truth alive in us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
