2 Timothy 1:16
"The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:"
Paul was obviously bound in prison, and it is very evident that he did not have many people who would come and see him. We don't know much about Onesiphorus, but the one thing we do know about him is that he was willing to help the Apostle Paul when others were not willing. He was willing to be an encouragement to someone who was considered an outcast when others would not do so. It was the very act of regularly visiting the Apostle Paul that encouraged him to keep on going for the LORD.
Christianity needs more people like Onesiphorus who are willing to refresh those who are bound. There are people bound by various circumstances who truly are lonely and would love for someone to take interest in them. There are those who are bound by past sins that need someone to refresh them. There are some who are presently in prison that need someone not to be ashamed of helping them. There are some who are not considered the "in crowd" who need someone to love them in spite of their differences. There are some who have been thrown out by the religious crowd because of their strong stand for truth who need to know someone truly cares for them. The Onesiphorus Christian will be one who is not afraid to identify with those who are bound.
It is this type of Christianity that truly identifies one with Christ. You may recall that one of the things for which Jesus was criticized was that He was a friend of sinners. Matthew 11:19 says, "The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners..." When others wouldn't befriend the sinner, Jesus was willing to be with them so that He could restore and refresh them. If a Christian truly wants to be like Christ then they should not be afraid to befriend the sinner; the one who nobody else will have anything to do with.
My friend, there are many people all around you who you could refresh if you were not afraid of what others would say about you. Let me ask you a question, if the fallen Christian can't come to our church to be restored or refreshed, then where are they supposed to go to get restored? I'm afraid too many Christians have become like the Pharisees who look down on those who have fallen in sin. Why is it that you will accept those who recently got saved who committed the same sin as the fallen Christian, but you won't accept the fallen Christian? The same grace that saves the lost is the same grace that can restore the fallen Christian.
There are many all about you who are bound by different chains that you could restore if you were not afraid to be identified with them. Let this devotional be a challenge to be a refresher to those who are bound. It may one day be your child who needs someone to refresh them. You could one day be the one who needs refreshing. Before that unfortunate day comes, be the one who is not afraid to refresh those who are bound. You never know what your constant encouragement will do for those who are bound. It is always better to be the one who stands on the side of refreshing those who are bound than to stand on the side of the critic of those who are bound. You have a choice, be a critic or be a refresher. If you want to be like Christ, you will choose to be the refresher.