Read Romans 16:1-27. Vs3-4 Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus… laid down their own necks: unto whom… I give thanks.
When you accept a person into your life and are concerned for him, you become vulnerable, don’t you? It is practically certain that this relationship will cost you considerable time, effort, and emotional stress, not to mention money or other personal resources. The question again is: “How great a cost am I willing to pay, for Christ’s sake and the Gospel?”
Aquila and Priscila had been helpful not only to the Apostle Paul but also to many others. I wonder: Who is thankful for you? For me? If that’s a disturbing question, so be it. We can very well afford to give a good deal of serious thought to being the kind of people for whom others can thank God. Paul said elsewhere, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (Phil. 1:3). In other words, he said, “Every time I think about you I thank God for you!” How do we get into that special category of being thanked-for-Christians? If we want others to thank God for us, we will be helpful without being officious or patronizing. We will be sympathetic and give aid or counsel without intruding on the other person’s mental and emotional privacy or lay.ing a heavy guilt trip on him. A fine line exists between counsel and advice. Most people don’t want our advice, but they do hunger for loving counsel. One who counsels may not be particularly religious or pious, but he demonstrates the genius of bringing the presence of God into the situation. So here we are, sharing with Paul his appreciation of fellow workers: Phebe, Aquila, and Priscilla, and tomorrow… a man whose name is not well known.
This devotional was written by Dr. Robert A. Cook. You can subscribe to his free email articles and listen to his Spirit-filled 15-minute messages at www.walkwiththeking.org. Used with written permission.
