Enjoy your company

For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you. But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you, whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. – Romans 15.22-24

This is such a precious verse. I love the passages that address really human issues like this one.

There is no heavy theology here. There is no deep doctrine. There are no serious spiritual lessons.

There are just the precious word of a Christian longing to spend time with his brothers and sisters in Christ.

For many years Paul has wanted to go to Rome. He has not been able to get there. He planned to make a trip to Spain and stop by and see them. That plan never worked out, but Paul did eventually get there.

I do like his words – he wanted to ‘enjoy their company for a while.’

I just think that is a wonderful sentiment. There is nothing quite like spending time with those we love, especially those we love in the Lord. We had a wonderful time of fellowship and ‘enjoying company’ after church at our barbecue on Sunday.  We spoke of spiritual things of course, but the real joy was just being in each other’s company for a while.

We ought to treasure those times. And we ought to, like Paul, plan those times together.

We are, after all, family.