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:”
One of the marks of Christ’s ministry was that He was never afraid to be with those who were the rejected of society. Jesus was the only One Who would help the woman caught in adultery. Jesus was not afraid to walk with the publicans or the outcasts of His society. Even when you look at the His disciples, they were not the higher echelon of society. They were often looked down upon by the religious leaders of their day, but Jesus was never afraid to be a friend of sinners. You could easily say that Jesus refreshed the rejected.
The Apostle Paul found himself in the crowd of the rejected. He sat in prison, and I’m sure it crossed his mind if anyone would visit him. Yet, we find Onesiphorus often visited Paul and encouraged him. When others were ashamed to be seen with Paul because of his prison chains, Onesiphorus understood that the time Paul needed others the most was when he sat alone in the prison cell.
There will always be people who will not be in the “in” crowd. These people need someone who will encourage them. One area where you can always be a help in the Christian life is to be someone who refreshes those who are the rejected of society. There is no doubt in my mind that if you want to be a good Christian, then you should not be afraid to identify and refresh those who are the rejected of society.
Let me encourage you to be a refresher of those who are rejected because they have fallen in sin. Sadly, there are many who have made bad choices as a Christian and have fallen in sin, but they still need someone who is not afraid to identify with them and refresh them. I would much rather be a friend to the sinner and refresh them than to carry the sword that destroys one of God’s children. It doesn’t matter how much someone has sinned, God still loves them and has a place where they can serve Him. It is absolutely wrong to make these who have fallen an outcast to the degree that we shun and reject them when they come into our congregations. Instead of shunning and rejecting them, be the person who refreshes the rejected.
Moreover, strive to be the type of Christian who breathes energy into those who seem to have lost their spiritual energy. Don’t be the Christian who is constantly negative, but be the Christian who truly tries to energize and motivate those who have been dispirited because of heartaches or struggles. Everyone is going to need someone at some point in their lives to cross their paths and encourage them. Make it your daily goal to be that Christian who is the encourager of Christians. Be one who people feel refreshed having been in your presence.
Let me warn you, be prepared to live a lonely life if you choose to become a refresher of the rejected. People will criticize you for being friendly to those who have fallen, but you are in the company of Christ when you live the life of a refresher. Don’t let the criticisms of the Pharisee stop you from be a refresher of the rejected. There is great fulfillment in knowing that God used you to help someone who needed encouragement. Make it a daily practice to find that one person who you can encourage to continue on. It will make your days much more pleasant and fulfilling.