Colossians 4:7-11: a reflection

7All my affairs will be made known to you by Tychicus, the beloved brother, faithful servant, and fellow bondservant in the Lord. 8I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, 9together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you everything that is going on here. 10Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you received instructions, “if he comes to you, receive him”), 11and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for God’s Kingdom who are of the circumcision, men who have been a comfort to me.

As Paul closes his letter to the Colossians, he mentions by name a number of fellow workers and companions, and of some of them he says something warm and telling: they have been a comfort to him. These are my only fellow workers for God's Kingdom who are of the circumcision, Paul writes, men who have been a comfort to me. Paul, who bore so much for the gospel, imprisonment, hardship, opposition, was comforted by faithful companions who stood with him, worked alongside him, and were a comfort to him in his trials. He names them, values them, gives thanks for them. This reveals the real comfort of faithful companions in the work and in hardship: those who stand with us, labor alongside us, and are a comfort to us in our trials are a gift not to be taken for granted. Even Paul needed and valued the comfort of faithful fellow workers. Faithful companions who stand with us in the work and in hardship are a real comfort and a gift. To have those who are a comfort to us in our trials is no small thing.

Notice how Paul speaks of his companions: as fellow workers who have been a comfort to him. Paul was not a solitary figure who needed no one; he had companions who worked alongside him for the kingdom, and some of them, he says, were a comfort to him in his hardships. He names them, values them, gives thanks for them. This reveals something worth seeing: the real comfort that faithful companions bring, especially in hardship. Those who stand with us, labor alongside us, share our trials, and are a comfort to us are a genuine gift. Even the great apostle Paul, who bore so much, was comforted by faithful fellow workers, and valued them. We are not meant to bear our labors and hardships alone; faithful companions who stand with us are a real comfort and help. To have those who are a comfort to us in our trials, who labor alongside us and share our burdens, is a gift to be valued and given thanks for, not taken for granted. And it calls us to be such a comfort to others in turn. Faithful companions in hardship are a gift; and we can be that gift to others. The comfort of faithful fellow workers is a real grace.

That is worth taking to heart, for faithful companions who stand with us in the work and in hardship are a real comfort and gift, to be valued and to be. We can undervalue the companions who labor alongside us and stand with us in hardship, or fail to be such a comfort to others; but Paul valued and gave thanks for fellow workers who were a comfort to him in his trials. Faithful companions in the work and in hardship are a genuine gift, a real comfort. And we are called to be such a comfort to others in turn. Do not undervalue faithful companions who stand with you in hardship, nor fail to be a comfort to others; they are a real gift, as Paul's fellow workers were a comfort to him. Value the faithful companions who stand with you in the work and in hardship as a real comfort and gift, and be such a comfort to others in turn, as Paul gave thanks for fellow workers who had been a comfort to him in his trials; for even the apostle Paul, who bore so much, was comforted by faithful companions and valued them, and we are not meant to bear our labors and hardships alone but to be strengthened by those who stand with us and to be that comfort to others, so that faithful fellow workers in hardship are a genuine grace, to be valued and given thanks for and to be for others.

Lord, as Paul closes his letter to the Colossians, he mentions by name a number of fellow workers and companions, and of some of them he says something warm and telling: they have been a comfort to him. These are my only fellow workers for God's Kingdom who are of the circumcision, Paul writes, men who have been a comfort to me. Paul, who bore so much for the gospel, imprisonment, hardship, opposition, was comforted by faithful companions who stood with him, worked alongside him, and were a comfort to him in his trials. He names them, values them, gives thanks for them. This reveals the real comfort of faithful companions in the work and in hardship. Show me how Paul speaks of his companions: as fellow workers who have been a comfort to him. Paul was not a solitary figure who needed no one; he had companions who worked alongside him, and some of them were a comfort to him in his hardships. He names them, values them, gives thanks for them. This reveals something worth seeing: the real comfort that faithful companions bring, especially in hardship. Even the great apostle Paul, who bore so much, was comforted by faithful fellow workers, and valued them. I am not meant to bear my labors and hardships alone; faithful companions who stand with me are a real comfort and help. And it calls me to be such a comfort to others in turn. Take that to my heart, for faithful companions who stand with me in the work and in hardship are a real comfort and gift, to be valued and to be. I can undervalue the companions who labor alongside me and stand with me in hardship, or fail to be such a comfort to others; but Paul valued and gave thanks for fellow workers who were a comfort to him. Keep me from undervaluing faithful companions who stand with me in hardship, and from failing to be a comfort to others; help me value them as a real gift, Lord, and be such a comfort to others in turn, as Paul gave thanks for fellow workers who had been a comfort to him in his trials.