I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. (Philippians 2:19-21,25)
“I can do it myself!” I bet you started saying those words when you were just two years old. It’s one of the first phrases we learn to adamantly shout, “I can do it myself!” And we never grow out of it. No matter how old we are today, we take great pride in doing things ourselves. We often feel ashamed to reach out to others for help. We don’t need anybody else. We can do it all ourselves!
Do you know who couldn’t do it himself? The apostle Paul in the Bible. We consider Paul the greatest missionary of all time. We marvel at how Paul traveled around the world and started church after church. If anyone could handle things on his own, it would be the apostle Paul, right?
Actually, no. Paul recognized he couldn’t do it himself. It’s amazing how often Paul talks about the blessing of other Christians. Here in Philippians, he praises Timothy and Epaphroditus for showing genuine Christian concern and for caring for his needs. He needed them. There wasn’t a single bit of a “I can do it myself” attitude in Paul. He needed encouragement from other Christians all the time.
Dear friend, you can’t do it all yourself either. You certainly can’t save yourself. You need Jesus and his forgiveness and love every single day. But you also can’t be a Christian all by yourself. You need brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage you and rebuke you and comfort you and correct you with God’s Word. If you spend your life looking out for your own interests, you will lose. You’ll lose God’s salvation, and you’ll lose the chance to have lasting Christian friendships.
Practice saying this: “I can’t do it myself.” The more you value and support and encourage your fellow believers in Jesus, the more you’ll realize the blessing of not having to do it all yourself.
Dear Jesus, your Word teaches me that I can’t do it all myself. I need your grace every day, and I need other Christians to encourage me. Please grant me the blessing of Christian friendships. Amen.
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