FACES IN THE HEART

By Mary Ruth Stone, Ed.D., International Women’s Ministries Coordinator

 

 

Archive of Idea of the Month:

January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005

Scripture

 

Paul wrote a letter to the church at Philippi and said it was from himself and Timothy. In the very first chapter, we find this greeting. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:3-11).

 

Devotion

 

I never cease to be amazed at the positive attitude the Apostle Paul was able to maintain while he was imprisoned. He was not in denial about the future that might lie before him. He had made a decision to be joyful.

 

One of the primary reasons that he was able to do that was because he had strong, spiritual support from his brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul told the saints at Philippi that they were faces in his heart. He said, “. . . I have you in my heart. . . .”

 

The word translated have is “echo” meaning to hold, to keep, to enjoy.

 

The word translated heart is “kardia” meaning heart, thoughts, feelings, mind.

 

Paul was telling his friends, “I hold you in my heart, taking care to keep the memory of you there to enjoy. You are there in my thoughts, my feelings, and my mind.”

 

Paul told them that he did certain things because they were faces in his heart.

 

• I thank God for you. “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (v 3).
• I pray joyfully for you. It isn’t a burden. “Always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy . . . ” (v 4).
• I thank God “. . . for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now . . . ” (v 5).

 

Paul went on to tell them some of the reasons why they were faces in his heart.

 

• “. . . You all are partakers with me of grace” (v 7). We have this in common. If it were not for the grace of God, we all would be lost. We most likely would not know each other.
• You have defended the gospel with me. For years we have been in this work together.
• You have confirmed the gospel to me. When I have been weak in faith, you have confirmed to me that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true.

 

Because you are a picture that I hold dear to my heart, I want to be with you. I love you in Christ.

 

Because you are a picture that I enjoy keeping in my memory, I pray certain things for you.

 

• I pray that your love may abound even more in the future than it has in the past.
• I pray that you would be filled with knowledge and discernment so that you may minister more powerfully in the future than you have in the past.
• I pray that you will remain sincere. The word sincere is a compound of two Latin words. Sine means without. Cere means wax. The word sincere means “without wax.” Often times furniture makers would repair flaws in furniture by filling in the holes with wax. In order to test the furniture, people would set it out in the sun. If it had wax, the heat of the sun would melt it. If it did not, it would remain the same and prove to be sincere. Paul prayed that his friends would remain without wax—that they would not change during the heat of the spiritual battle.
• I pray that you would be without offense. The word translated offense is aproskopos. It means that which leads to sin. Paul is praying that they would remain free from any circumstance that might lead them into sin.
• I pray that you would be “. . . filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Christ Jesus. . . .”

 

All of these things, he prayed would be for the glory of God.

 

Paul wasn’t the only one with faces in his heart. I have some faces in my heart. I suspect that you do too. Some of them are gone to their reward, and their only earthly existence is in the hearts of those whom they loved, the hearts of those whom they influenced.

 

Three faces that live in my heart are those of Church of God International Women’s Ministries presidents I formerly worked with—Euverla Hughes, FrancesCrowley and Iris Vest.

 

My mother and Euverla were friends from the time they were toddlers. When my first son was born and I brought him home from the hospital weighing 4 pounds and 13 ounces, Euverla came to my apartment and gave me tips for taking care of a preemie. She had just returned from helping Florence take care of her newborn twins who were just as tiny. That is a big reason among many why her face is in my heart. Her face is a “mother” face to me.

 

Having grown up mostly in Maryland, I knew Frances my entire life. Not only was she a woman of God totally sold out to ministry, she had a terrific sense of humor which I thoroughly enjoyed. She is a smiley face in my heart.

 

Iris and I were in each other’s youth camps and other events. Her Mark and my Jon were best friends from elementary school days when we lived in the same neighborhood. They spent nights together and took vacations together. Iris and I shared our sons and our ministries. She wears a girlfriend’s face in my heart.

 

I miss all of these women. Many days I go to the wall where their pictures and others are displayed. I savor my memories of them and fix their beautiful faces more firmly in my heart.

 

You are in my heart.

 

You have many faces in your heart.

 

Would you share with us a memory from one or more faces from your heart? (Give time for sharing.)