Philemon 21

Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
Philemon 21

As Paul closes this letter, he is asking Philemon to have mercy on his runaway slave, Onesimus. Paul is confident that his brother will do the right thing. You see, Paul saw the best in him. Paul was so confident, in fact, that he said here that Philemon would probably do more than what he asked.

I love this outlook that Paul had. He wasn’t one of those glass-half-empty guys; he looked at it half-full. People may have let him down in the past, but Paul was still thinking and hoping the best about Philemon.

And I believe that is how God would have us to look at others. Paul would write in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is pure, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, meditate on these things.”

With all the people that Paul ministered to and ministered with, he knew firsthand how people so often let each other down. Yet Paul lived with his eyes on the Lord, always hoping for the best in others.

Hoping for the best in others,

Pastor Rich Kikuchi