READ: Philemon 10-21
“I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).” – Philemon 19, NASB
Paul, like many fathers and apostles, would not bother to tell the young ones that they actually owed their entire lives to him. Philemon did not just owe him gratitude for some teachings. Philemon did not just owe him gratitude for some prayers. He owed his very life to him. Paul decided to point this out to Philemon this time because he was asking for a favour from him.
There are people who rebel against authority and therefore need to wipe out the memory of those who helped them. When people do not want to show gratitude, they consciously black out any memory of good things done for them. They selectively retain the things they want remember and delete the memory of other things. They then try to attribute their success to other reasons, minimizing any reference to the one who really helped them. They say things like, “I would have been here anyway.” “I would have been in the ministry anyway.” “I would have had all these blessings anyway. I do not have to say thank you forever. I would have travelled to these countries anyway.”
You see, one thing that is done for you can become the pivot around which everything else revolves. There is no need to black out the reality of what God has done.
Do not forget how many things are often related to one individual. Be grateful to God and to whomever He has used to bless you. This is what Paul meant when he said to Philemon, “I don’t want to remind you that you owe your very life to me!”