Let Him turn it in your favor
Watch Him work it for your good
He’s not done with what He’s started
He’s not done until it’s good

Hello, peace
hello, joy
Hello, love
Hello, strength
hello, hope, It’s a new horizon

(“Fear Is Not my Future”; By Chandler Moore, Kirk Franklin, and Maverick City Music)

May we take the time to pause to remember all the people who came alongside us and helped us on our journey to know God more by believing Jesus?  These people helped us trust and obey Jesus by being examples themselves with how to respond and react in this world. They mentored us and reminded us that our joy is complete in Jesus when we are fully attentive and devoted in our relationship with the One who loves us most and best.  They lived Jesus and were his hands and feet to us.  They were always for us and with us as we pursued God—the most important relationship we will ever have in this world and the next.

Yes, thank God for them!  For God so loved us that He sent certain people into our lives at just the right time to encourage us in our faith!  Paul’s writings always name and thank God for certain people who believed, trusted, and obeyed Jesus with whom He met and walked alongside.  Write them a note if they are walking on this earth offering holy hugs of thanksgiving and encouragement. 

The people who Paul has named are part of our journey, too. Thank God now for them!

Fear is not my future
You are (You are)
Sickness is not my story
You are (You are), You are (You are)

Heartbreak’s not my home
You are (You are), You are (You are)
Death is not the end
You are, You are (oh)

So, Hello, peace
hello, joy
Hello, love
Hello, strength
hello, hope, It’s a new horizon

All because of Jesus…

Romans 16, The Message

^1-2 Be sure to welcome our friend Phoebe in the way of the Master, with all the generous hospitality we Christians are famous for. I heartily endorse both her and her work. She’s a key representative of the church at Cenchrea. Help her out in whatever she asks. She deserves anything you can do for her. She’s helped many a person, including me.

^3-5 Say hello to Priscilla and Aquila, who have worked hand in hand with me in serving Jesus. They once put their lives on the line for me. And I’m not the only one grateful to them. All the non-Jewish gatherings of believers also owe them plenty, to say nothing of the church that meets in their house.

Hello to my dear friend Epenetus. He was the very first follower of Jesus in the province of Asia.

⁶ Hello to Mary. What a worker she has turned out to be!

⁷ Hello to my cousins Andronicus and Junias. We once shared a jail cell. They were believers in Christ before I was. Both of them are outstanding leaders.

⁸ Hello to Ampliatus, my good friend in the family of God.

⁹ Hello to Urbanus, our companion in Christ’s work, and my good friend Stachys.

¹⁰ Hello to Apelles, a tried-and-true veteran in following Christ.

Hello to the family of Aristobulus.

¹¹ Hello to my cousin Herodion.

Hello to those who belong to the Lord from the family of Narcissus.

¹² Hello to Tryphena and Tryphosa—such diligent women in serving the Master.

Hello to Persis, a dear friend and hard worker in Christ.

¹³ Hello to Rufus—a good choice by the Master!—and his mother. She has also been a dear mother to me.

¹⁴ Hello to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and also to all of their families.

¹⁵ Hello to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas—and all the followers of Jesus who live with them.

¹⁶ Holy hugs all around! All the churches of Christ send their warmest greetings!

^17-18 One final word of counsel, friends. Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching that you learned and then use them to make trouble. Give these people a wide berth. They have no intention of living for our Master Christ. They’re only in this for what they can get out of it, and aren’t above using pious sweet talk to dupe unsuspecting innocents.

^19-20 And so while there has never been any question about your honesty in these matters—I couldn’t be more proud of you!—I want you also to be smart, making sure every “good” thing is the real thing. Don’t be gullible in regard to smooth-talking evil. Stay alert like this, and before you know it the God of peace will come down on Satan with both feet, stomping him into the dirt. Enjoy the best of Jesus!

²¹ And here are some more greetings from our end. Timothy, my partner in this work, Lucius, and my cousins Jason and Sosipater all said to tell you hello.

²² I, Tertius, who wrote this letter at Paul’s dictation, send you my personal greetings.

²³ Gaius, who is host here to both me and the whole church, wants to be remembered to you.

Erastus, the city treasurer, and our good friend Quartus send their greetings.

^25-26 All of our praise rises to the One who is strong enough to make you strong, exactly as preached in Jesus Christ, precisely as revealed in the mystery kept secret for so long but now an open book through the prophetic Scriptures. All the nations of the world can now know the truth and be brought into obedient belief, carrying out the orders of God, who got all this started, down to the final detail.

²⁷ All our praise is focused through Jesus on this incomparably wise God! Yes!

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Paul sent his warmest greetings to his fellow workers in the kingdom of God.  Though often overlooked, the behind-the-scenes service of faithful Christians forms a vital part of any ministry. Paul expressed his thanks to a wide variety of people, most of whom are noted for simple, everyday acts of service.

How often do we give thanks to the unseen as well as the seen up-front?  How often do we pray over and praise dedicated people who faithfully serve because it has become their new nature as they live as new creations in Christ?  Not enough would be my guess.  This is not vain, insincere flattery for what they do necessarily but because of who they are in Jesus!  What if more of our praises began with, “I see Jesus in you when you…” (pray with others without even thinking about it, help others not matter what the cost of your time, etc.)

As giving thanks to God for all He has done for us becomes our breath of life, may giving thanks to God for those who are “helpers” to all people in the Kingdom of God also be a regular, sincere, routine of building the Body of Christ!  Paul has set the example.  Look around, there is always someone to thank God for because of their friendship and service!

I thank God for you right now and continually for reading this and responding like you do!  As habit—

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:3-6)

In Jesus Name, Amen!