Two men Paul held in high regard:

Timothy -

• kindred spirit to Paul vs.20


• was concerned for the Philippians as Paul was vs. 20


• cared for the interests of Christ, not his own interests vs.21


• proven worth, serving in the furtherance of the gospel vs.22


• like a son to Paul vs.22

Epaphroditus -

• Paul calls him brother vs.25


• Paul's fellow worker vs.25


• Paul's fellow soldier vs.25


• Philippians' messenger vs. 25


• Philippians' minister to Paul vs. 25


• concerned for the Philippians vs.26


• passionate in serving the Lord to the point of death vs.30

Would that I would have that kind of passion that I would serve Christ whole-heartedly. I don't serve alongside any missionaries this closely. Not to the point of death.

But you know, I have the opportunity to serve Christ passionately where I am. I can serve Him as I wipe noses and help children wash hands. As moms come to pick up their kids, I can serve Him by taking time to chat with them and be an encouragement to them. I can also serve them by faithfully training their children while they are away at work. I can serve Him each and every day.

This will take time and I may not always get away by myself, but I know that this is valuable time well spent as I invest in the lives of the little ones around me. As I train them to study Awana verses and read in their Bibles before they start their day, I'm teaching them the value of reading God's Word and memorizing Scripture.

I need to remember that I can serve Christ each and every day with the tasks He has given me to do and I can do this by remembering what my job is and serving with a cheerful heart.