"He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed" (Proverbs 11:25).
What an amazing verse. Before we look at the two categories of people mentioned in this verse, let's be reminded that all refreshment comes from the Godhead . . . from the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He is the Master Refresher. He invites us to join Him in bringing refreshment to one another. We are the most useful when we have discovered Him to be our Chief Refresher. He alone is the One who causes us to experience times of refreshing that come from the Lord (as Peter taught in Acts 3:19). As we live in the overflow of His refreshment to us, we will grasp the significance of the opening text at the top of this page. This verse speaks of two types of people . . . (1) People who are committed to the ministry of refreshing others and (2) People who are refreshed themselves as they refresh others.
We believers have the joy of partnering with the Lord as His refreshers. For example, let's look at some individuals in the Bible who are explicitly called refreshers.
TITUS received refreshment from the Christians in Corinth and he refreshed them. It was a refreshment that was mutually beneficial. II Corinthians 7:13-16 gives the details which include these words . . . We were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
STEPHANAS, FORTUNATUS, and ACHAICUS, were men who have supplied what was lacking from you. They refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition (I Corinthians 16:15-18).
PAUL, too, knew the encouragement of receiving refreshment from others and he was generous in refreshing others. In Romans 15:32 he wrote . . . pray that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. So often Paul spoke of the reciprocity of two-way refreshment.
TIMOTHY was urged to fan the flame that God had given him (II Timothy 1:6) translated variously . . . Kindle afresh (NAS) . . . stir into flame (TCNT). Here's the crux of what Paul is saying to Timothy. You must stoke the inner embers. Just as the campfire gradually diminishes unless it is kindled, even so our spiritual flame tends to lessen, and our refreshment to others gradually cools off.
Indeed we are called to be ministers of refreshment. Take another look at the text at the top of this letter. Here is the boomerang impact to all of us who give ourselves to refreshing others. I call it the bonus blessing - he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
This text (both parts) is a relational principle. It is also a spiritual promise. That's why I call it the big, bonus, blessing. It's one of the grandest boomerangs. As we refresh others, we will be refreshed. Maybe it will happen immediately. Perhaps it will be given by someone else at some other time. But be sure of this, as we refresh others, it will be retuned to us. We will be the big winners.
Are you a refresher? Or are you a noodnik, a Yiddish term which means . . . "one who spreads cheer by not showing up" That's right . . . by NOT showing up.
You can begin right now. It might be with a smile, a phone call, a letter, an embrace, a moment spent with that person (that you are now thinking of). So often I have been refreshed by others. So have you. Now let's enjoy the verse of Scripture again by stepping into it . . . by being refreshed as we minister refreshment to others.
Founder, Senior Associate
