No One Came To My Support

AT MY FIRST DEFENSE, NO ONE CAME TO MY SUPPORT, BUT EVERYONE DESERTED ME. MAY IT NOT BE HELD AGAINST THEM. 2 Timothy 4.16.

Frequently, you and I find it hard to tolerate the action or reaction of some people. Sometimes they may be members of our own family. At other times, they may be fellow believers in our own church. Let’s face it, sometimes we ourselves may be intolerable to others!

We all have had such experiences in our lives. Many years ago I had long-standing differences and difficulties someone who should have been my best supporter! I tried to solve my issues with him personally and even through the mediation of friends and others, acknowledging that there could be fault on my part too! But nothing was of any avail. In the end, out of sheer exasperation, I just had to grin and bear it. The only other thing I could do was to pray to God for peace between us.

A long time ago, we had some differences of opinion regarding certain practices among the leadership of the church to which I then belonged. Old friends who should have ‘come to my support deserted me’. It was not that we all should have had unity in everything, for it was not possible. But I thought that spiritual maturity should have enabled us to give support to one another as friends and brothers in Christ. It was not so. I remember saying to an old friend, “I would have thought that we would have stood together even in death and be buried in the same grave!”

The only thing I could do was to pray like the apostle Paul, ‘May it not be held against them!’ Having done so, I was guided and helped by the Holy Spirit to take the initiative to forgive and seek to mend the broken relationships. Thank God it worked and we all are life-long friends again, still holding our different views. If anyone has offended you, not only must you ask God to forgive them but you too must forgive them!

Dear believer, you need to stand beside one another when our chips are down! The writer of the Hebrews exhorts us, “let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds… but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb 10.24,25).

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to forgive my brethren when they offend me. Give them grace to forgive me when I have offended them. Help me to stand by those who are hurting and encourage them. Amen.