During a phone call with my mother, she said, “Yesterday I was feeling down and had a pity party. I realized I had to stop thinking about myself and trust God for my problems. I decided to encourage someone else.”

“What did you do, Mama?” I asked.

“I took chicken and dumplings to a sick friend. When Sarah and I talked about God’s blessings, she smiled. She said my visit perked her up and made her feel better. I think the visit did more for me than Sarah.”

The apostle Paul commended Philemon, “The hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you” (verse 7). Philemon opened his home for the church and demonstrated love for fellow believers as he shared his faith in Christ.

Like my mother and Philemon, we can renew fellow

believers’ hearts with words and deeds.