“You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me.” (2 Timothy 1:15-17, NIV)
Most of us have lived long enough to experience what Paul describes: The disloyalty (and the loyalty) of others.
While we should be disheartened (although not necessarily surprised) when others desert us — sometimes with malice. However, we should be greatly encouraged by the loyalty of persons who have gone to great lengths in seeking us; in finding us; and in being present with us.
We should be encouraged by the mere presence of those who are not ashamed of — or intimidated by — our “chains,” whether our encumbrance be illness, financial difficulty, marital discord, substance abuse, or the literal chains of jail or prison.
We should also aspire to be “Onesiphorus” in the life of others. – Luther
