Paul's Prayers, #14

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. (Phil. 1:3-7)

Paul didn't just have supporters - he had partners.

This is one of the key passages (along with 3 John 5-8) that guide my thinking about how churches should view relationships with missionaries. In Paul's mind the church at Philippi was a partner in his work.

We know from history and other passages that many churches in Asia Minor were persecuted or in great poverty during this time period. But God, in His grace, allowed some churches to flourish in freedom and prosperity - and guided the leadership to request and facilitate support for the churches that were suffering. 1 Cor. 8-9 speak to such a collection, delivered by Paul to Jerusalem prior to his arrest.

Paul's teaching to the churches indicates that those churches who weren't struggling should make an extra effort to support those who were. And similarly, Paul didn't hesitate to accept financial support from those churches who could afford it, even while not expecting support from churches in other areas. He was free to take income, and willingly laid that right down when it was best for the church involved.

Philippi was one of the more prosperous churches, and we see in this passages that they viewed their wealth from a kingdom perspective. They were partners with Paul. We know from other passages that this partnership was not just financial - Paul asked them to pray for his deliverance in 1:9, so they were prayer partners as well. But the key point is that there was a relationship - one that Paul treasured.

How does this relate to being world Christians? We need to develop relationships with those we support. We should never simply write a check. Prayer, birthday gifts, checking on their house, keeping them informed about what's going on here - all are part of being partners. We should be such a part of their lives that there is no "disconnect" because of the distance. It takes work - but modern technology has made that work much easier. Email, Facebook, Skype - all make staying in touch in even the remotest areas easier. Missionaries likewise should be open and communicative - newsletters with specific prayer requests help the church to develop world Christians. Most of all, we should truly view each other as partners. As I've said many times, the one traveling is the feet, but the entire body goes. We have to truly see ourselves in the "go".

Prayer: Father, please help us to see ourselves as partners in the Gospel. Guide us to understand and support our missionaries in a more significant manner. Teach us how to be good partners.