Philemon 6 – That the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Paul is basically saying here “I thank God for you and I pray that you will be even more effective in communicating your faith as people around you see the good things that are happening within you.” There is power in a life where the love of God is evident. It is one thing to read about love in a book, but how compelling it is to see love lived out. Paul desired that all believers would grow more and more in their spiritual life and understanding. Christian faith should not exist as a private possession, passive and assumed. Instead, it must energetically manifest itself through daily living and human relationships. Those who neglect Christian development, who never do good acts on behalf of others, who never exercise their spiritual muscles will experience spiritual decay. They waste away, incapable of knowing the riches of Christ or the power of His Spirit through life’s daily encounters. A full understanding of God’s goodness refers not to book knowledge but to experiential comprehension. It happens when, appropriating God’s truth into life, you see its good results and power. This deepens your faith and trust in the Lord.

Challenge:

One of the greatest things you can do, as a Christian, is share your faith with someone. Do you think the coworkers at your job, or classmates in your school, or neighbors on your street see in you great joy, total peace, and pure love, that they wish they knew your secret? Your challenge this week is to live out your faith in Jesus and share with others what great things God is doing in your life. Tell someone how you came to faith in the Lord Jesus. Share with a friend how God showed up in your life recently. Give testimony of how much your morning devotions prepare you for your day. You see, you can speak the Christian jargon and go through the motions of worship, but true faith must intersect life’s choices and actions. How, exactly, is the Lord making Himself known to you in real and tangible ways? What is He speaking directly into your situation that causes you completely trust in His timing and provision? We say “God is with us!”, “God is faithful!”, so let’s tell others how much we believe that to be true. God bless you.