Friendship Philippians 2:19-30

Hey y'all! So, today's scripture is Philippians 2:19-30. The main focus of these verses is friendship and what it looks like to have an authentic, godly, friendship with someone. As we've talked about this week there are ways that we must act in order for our lives to permeate Christ's love. The same goes for friendships.

Read these verses to get a better picture of the friendship that Paul had with Timothy and Epaphroditus.

I plan (according to Jesus' plan) to send Timothy to you very soon so he can bring back all the news of you he can gather. Oh, how that will do my heart good! I have no one quite like Timothy. He is loyal, and genuinely concerned for you. Most people around here are looking out for themselves, with little concern for the things of Jesus. But you know yourselves that Timothy's the real thing. He's been a devoted son to me as together we've delivered the Message. As soon as I see how things are going to fall out for me here, I plan to send him off. And then I'm hoping and praying to be right on his heels. But for right now, I'm dispatching Epaphroditus, my good friend and companion in my work. You sent him to help me out; now I'm sending him to help you out. He has been wanting in the worst way to get back with you. Especially since recovering from the illness you heard about, he's been wanting to get back and reassure you that he is just fine. He nearly died, as you know, but God had mercy on him. And not only on him—he had mercy on me, too. His death would have been one huge grief piled on top of all the others. So you can see why I'm so delighted to send him on to you. When you see him again, hale and hearty, how you'll rejoice and how relieved I'll be. Give him a grand welcome, a joyful embrace! People like him deserve the best you can give. Remember the ministry to me that you started but weren't able to complete? Well, in the process of finishing up that work, he put his life on the line and nearly died doing it.

As you can tell Paul was VERY close to both Timothy and Epaphroditus. There are several characteristics that Paul uses to describe his two friends.

-Loyal

-Genuine 

-Authentic

-Devoted

-Good friend

-Companion 

These are things that we should strive to live out each and everyday within the context of our friendships!

I challenge you to evaluate your friendships--Are you loyal? Are you genuine? Are you devoted? These are all things we want in a friend, but are we being that for someone else? Sometimes it's nice to just take a mental inventory of our friendships and make sure our actions towards others are glorifying to God. 

I hope y'all enjoyed all we learned this week through the 2nd chapter of Philippians!

xO