“And some days after Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they do’” (Acts 15:36). Paul and Barnabas were getting ready to revisit the cities they had previously been to and I imagine they must have been excited. Paul loved the people of God and there are many examples of him praising both congregations and individuals. In Rom. 1:8 he expresses his thankfulness for them, “First, I thank God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.” Paul also says the following to the Ephesian church, “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers” (Eph. 1:15-16).
Not only did he pray for the Ephesian church, but he frequently mentions the same practice for other churches as well; “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you” (Rom. 1:9-10). Clearly, Paul cared for other Christians, and so should we. Of course, the vast majority of us did not start congregations in various cities, but that does not mean we cannot still visit, encourage and pray for members of our local congregation. I am confident that the people Paul and Barnabas saw were excited and thankful, and I am equally confident that the same could be said for fellow Christians we visit.
As an associate minister in Dallas, Texas, I would visit members of the congregation and was always received with much joy. Not only that, but I developed deep and lasting friendships with those who would visit with me. Todd, a special “fellow visitor,” and I both enjoyed the opportunity to spend a few minutes in fellowship with various members of the church we attended. We not only derived immense pleasure from sitting chatting with people in their homes, but our friendship also grew stronger with each visit. Together we made a great team because we would “insult” each other, calling ourselves the visitor’s “favorite,” and generally make the experience a light-hearted affair. Of course, there were times when the visits were more serious and friendly banter was shelved for a while, but we enjoyed those moments as well. Todd was the main fellow visitor, but he was not the only one. His wife, Elaine, our friends Cathy, Sharon, and Albert, and my wife would be among others who would accompany us from time to time.
We were a happy group because we brought happiness to so many people with our visits. We would pray for people, laugh with them, grieve with them, and without exception, grow closer to them. We even visited some for their last moments on this earth – a privilege that cannot be overstated. If you can, try and visit a few members and see how quickly endearing friendships are formed. The encouragement from visiting is mutual, and getting to know each other on a more personal level is a beautiful experience. Paul thought so much of it that he even called visiting “pure religion” in Jam. 1:27 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction…,” And remember this, you may be the only visitor they receive. So, to quote a famous sports brand logo, “Just do it.”
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