đź“– I appeal to you for my [own spiritual] child, Onesimus [meaning profitable], whom I have begotten [in the faith] while a captive in these chains.
Once he was unprofitable to you, but now he is indeed profitable to you as well as to me.
I am sending him back to you in his own person, [and it is like sending] my very heart.
—Philemon 1:10-12 AMPC
The good thing about people is that they can change. One can be unprofitable one day, and over time, they can change and become an asset. People can grow up. They can mature. They can become a better version of themselves over time. That is why we have to be patient with people. That is why we extend grace. People can make mistakes as they mature. We must be patient with people the way God is patient with us. God is long suffering. We must be the same. There are examples all throughout the Bible of people who changed over time. John Mark was an example. In Acts 13, he left Paul after an encounter with a sorcerer. In Acts 15, Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement because Paul did not want John Mark to accompany them anymore on their missionary journeys. Notice the change that took place with Paul concerning John Mark in II Timothy 4:11: “Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.” Paul, at that time, requested John Mark's presence because he had become profitable for ministry. There was a change in John Mark’s life. God had brought him to a place where he was ready for ministry. God will do the same for us. Don’t focus on what you are now. Focus on what you can become. You can become a vessel, fit for the Master’s use.
#focus #vcccharlotte #patience #devotional #grace