Philemon 8-21 (full passage at bottom of page)
8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus,. 11 Formerly he was useless to you,17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.
In today’s scripture, Paul is writing a letter to his friend Philemon to take a risk with his other friend Onesimus. It appears that Onesimus had been disloyal to Philemon in serious ways. Possibly even stolen from him. Paul is trying to help his friend take a risk on forgiving…even “welcoming” the person who hurt him.
Amy Poehler describes the truth about risk with poignant sarcasm, “Take your risks now, as you grow older you become more fearful and less flexible. And I mean that literally. I hurt my knee this week on the treadmill, and it wasn’t even on.”
Are you more fearful and less flexible? Seriously, none of us are getting any younger! How about you, do you have someone God is asking you to forgive? Do you have the spiritual viscera (that means guts!) to explore the risk? Try the 3G practice
Give up – inflexibility and fear.
Give in– to the possibility you are being invited to take a risk on someone who has hurt you. Ask God if this invitation comes from God’s heart.
Give out- forgiveness and possibly welcome back the one who has hurt you.
Philemon 8-21
8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. 15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.