Philemon 7

"Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of God's people."

I thought it was pretty cool that Philemon was known as someone who refreshes hearts. Later in v. 20, Paul not only points out again that Philemon has that characteristic, but Paul hopes that he will also benefit from Philemon's character/gift. What does it mean to refresh another person's heart in Christ? Perhaps for Philemon it is largely based on his love (for God's people) and his faith (in the Lord Jesus) (v. 4, 7). For me it seems that those who have refreshed me, brought comfort and understanding were those with similar characteristics, too; they were able to speak out of love fueled by their faith in Christ. It reminds me that love for others coupled with faith in Christ can be a combination that blesses and encourages many. This is definitely an area I hope to grow in...