(14) Strength in Suffering Series
Can you think of a dear friend of yours with whom you haven’t been through some type of crisis or difficulty? I can’t. I really can’t. My close friendships have been forged during trouble or suffering. That’s what makes dear ones dear. Paul is surrounded by fellow-sufferers, whom he calls fellow-laborers. He speaks of sending one of his fellow laborers to Philippi.
“But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.”
Philippians 2:19-20
Paul calls Timothy his son in his first letter to Timothy. This probably means Paul had a hand in Timothy’s birth into Christ, and based on Paul’s instructions to Timothy, Paul also helped to raise him and grow him in the Lord. It’s interesting to see that Paul is wanting to send his son in the faith to visit these loved ones who are suffering. I’m reminded of situations where family members are sick or in duress, and the family will send a member or members to care for the one in need. Then the chosen family caregiver takes on the task of sending reports back to the other family members. How is mom doing today? Is she taking her medicine? “Well, she’s in low spirits; I think it would help if you gave her a call this afternoon.” Sometimes we can better understand the relationships within the Church by looking at family relationships.
Paul makes it clear that he doesn’t know what God has planned for his future or Timothy’s, but he trusts anyway. And he makes plans based on his trust in Jesus. We see here that the idea of making plans does not go against God’s will. Some Christians misinterpret James 4:15 where he states, “What you ought to say is ‘If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that’” as though making plans is somehow presumptuous against the plans of God. It is not presumptuous to make plans. Rather, it’s presumptuous to think those plans are of more importance than God’s plans. The point of every Christian’s life is to be directed by God, but that doesn’t mean you always know, specifically, where He is leading you to go next. So, we walk by faith, trusting that the steps we take will be directed by God day by day. Why is this point important in light of Paul’s letter to Philippi? Well, sometimes we become discouraged and disappointed in the midst of suffering because our plans get changed. When this letter was first read, how encouraged the Christians must have been to know Timothy was coming to Philippi! But what if things didn’t work that way? What if God had another job for Timothy? The hope of encouragement that is taken away can be a blow to the sufferer, too. How does a Christian sister work through these types of disappointments? It’s through the knowledge that the Son of God faced disappointment and discouragement and suffering, and that He can be trusted to bring into every sufferer’s life the comfort needed when it is needed… at the best time and in the best way. That’s why Paul pairs his statement with trust.
Paul and Timothy both suffered in their work for the kingdom of God. Paul describes Timothy as being like-minded with him. They enjoy unity so that he entrusts Timothy with the task of going to the Philippian church and working with them just as Paul would. Timothy can look on their situation in Philippi and come away with the same encouragements and concerns that he knows Paul would look for. How is this possible? It’s possible that when you put yourself into God’s hands and work beside your brothers and sisters, the things you go through with them will solidify your goals—goals that are at the core of God’s family values. When a physical family focuses on the same aim, there is comfort and support among its members; how much more comfort and support is found in the family of God when His word is the central focus! While all of us have different perspectives and each experience suffering in our own ways, the word of God brings constancy and closeness that can’t be found in relationships that are not based on trust in God.
Family can inspire an abundance of positive and negative feelings. Family has that kind of influence. Family knows you, knows your good and your bad points, your strengths and your weaknesses. That’s part of being in a close relationship with someone. Some families create unhealthy relationships, and this can be tremendously upsetting to the heart and the psyche. It can cause lack of trust. The church family seen here is a healthy one. It’s one in which Paul says he is reaching out to them in the only way he can while he’s in prison by sending someone to check on them—not to scare them or make them anxious. God’s family’s end goal is to be together forever, in the joy of God’s presence for eternity. Paul is not interested in their well-being to punish or correct them. He is looking at the children of God at Philippi and saying, “I want to be with you in heaven, so I want to be sure you’re developing and growing toward that end. I’m going to send a family member to check on you, and he knows what to look for.”
Within a family setting, people have roles. This carries over to the Church. While we are all part of the same family system in God, we are in different developmental places on our journey together in this Faith. There are guides and there are fellow helpers. There are babes in Christ and there are teachers. Roles in the home are set down by God, and, among other considerations, they are decided by age or length of time you’ve been a member of the family. God’s family has similar roles, but it doesn’t have the same view of time. Suffering can mature the mind, even when the body is young. There are experiences that my younger sister in Christ has had that I have never known how to handle. I may not yet grasp the things her heart has learned. At the same time, God tells us to honor the aged and the white-haired because we are living in a world where time matters. The longer someone has been on this earth, the more opportunities for growing they’ve had. So, we treat people according to their situations in this life—young and old, male and female— and we treat people according to their experience and behavior in the Lord. Perhaps we would gain a better sense of family roles by not placing all of one age group in one lump. Not all teens are at the same place spiritually, so they aren’t necessarily helped by separating them into their own group. The same goes for the elderly. Herding them into a sort-of “club” based on age and gender, etc. is something the world does. We can see that it tends to isolate people because they become more and more accustomed to having people around them who are physically and emotionally similar, instead of seeking out those who are spiritually oriented around the same goal of truth and love that God provides to His people. In the Church, categorizing based on age or any number of traits is merely copying the world’s system. Instead, we are all children in God’s eyes. We are family members with the hand of God our Father resting on each of our shoulders. We are fellow-travelers journeying toward the same goal, and we’ve all traveled different physical paths to get to the one true spiritual way of life. Family in God is about unity of mind and heart as we all aim for the same eternal home. It’s not unity in considering things the same way or acting on things the same way. It’s about coming to the same eternal conclusion: I want to be in heaven, and I want to be there with you. That means we want to help each other. We’re not in any way enemies or against each other’s happiness and joy in the Father’s house. Nobody has to fight for something the other siblings don’t get to have. Everybody is given the same opportunity to join the family. Though our roles in the kingdom may be different, we are all serving the same Master who loves us all equally. He doesn’t treat us equally; He works with us according to our personalities and needs. He lets us grow and change and become renewed with every trial we undergo and learn from. If we can see God doing this with His family, then we can see how we, as members, can have this view of each other.
“For all seek their own, not the things which are Christ’s.”
Philippians 2:21
Paul points out our human nature. We are selfish. We think in terms of physical families vying for more of the parent’s attention or love. We practice sibling rivalry in the kingdom of God simply because we don’t grasp how the spiritual kingdom is different. But you don’t have to worry about being God’s favorite. God’s favorite is His Son, and His Son transferred all the Father’s loving favor to you when He died for you and took away your sins.
“But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel. Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.”
Philippians 2:22-23
Paul tells the Philippian Christians that Timothy has the right understanding about God’s family. Timothy will come to Philippi and look at them, not as rivals or enemies. Timothy won’t be looking for their downfalls and triumph in their shortcomings. Timothy will look on his brothers and sisters in hopes of finding all the good and rejoicing. He has the great concern Paul has for their suffering and their well-being.
As Paul comforts them with the promise of a visit from Timothy, this father and son language correlates beautifully with the Father sending his Son. All the goodness, all the love, all the joy of the Father can be seen in Jesus. God promised His Son would come to refresh us; and when Jesus came to this earth, He came bringing comfort and hope. He came to find the suffering ones who wanted so much to be with God, but they needed reassurance and encouragement to find their way.
Paul then tells these Christians his ultimate goal is to come to them himself.
“But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.”
Philippians 2:24
Paul is looking forward to being together with them again, just like God is looking forward to the day when we are together with Him, at home in heaven—where the true family will be reunited forever.
Next time, Paul will talk to them about another member of their family and his struggles.