Leading A Hand II Tim. 1:16-18 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

When you roll up your sleeves and lend a hand to those in need:

You refresh them – 2 Tim 1:16 – when a person is carrying his load alone, his load is heavy to bear.  But when you lend a hand, he feels refreshed and so he keeps going.

You encourage them – 2 Tim 1:16-17 – adverse circumstances can cause people to condemn themselves and doubt God’s provision.  When you help them, you encourage them because they don’t feel abandoned and rejected.  They know they have a friend [Gal 6:2].  Fulfilling the law of Christ is to love them [1 Tim 1:5].  Onesiphorus went out of his way to help Paul.  He had to diligently seek him to find him and offer his help.  He went to Paul in Rome from Asia.

You minister to them – 2 Tim 1:18 – Paul had real needs that had to be met by someone else because he could not provide for himself in prison.  See Acts 20:33-35.  Paul was used to being the provider not the recipient.

You reap mercy now – 2 Tim 1:16 – the Lord knows that we are not perfect and we are not better than those we help.  So, when we show mercy to them, the Lord shows mercy to us.  Ps 18:25 “With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful.”  Not only that, but you also develop a good report among the brethren [2 Tim 1:18, thou knowest very well].  See 1 Tim 3:7, 5:10.

You reap mercy later – 2 Tim 1:18 – mercy of the Lord in that day.  This is a reference to the judgment seat of Christ.  We certainly need mercy at this judgment since we give account for the good things and the bad things done in our bodies [2 Cor 5:10; Col 3:24-25].  It’s like helping others offsets some of the bad we would have otherwise faced.  This is a great way for us to redeem the time in service to the Lord.

Conclusion: lend a hand to those in need.  You really help them, refresh them and encourage them.  And you do yourself a favor, as well, by gaining much needed mercy from the Lord.