I thank God for you

I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints… For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother. – Philemon 1.4-7

Philemon is a wonderful, precious little book. It is a letter where you really see the affection between two friends. 

'I thank God for you.' 

How precious those words are. How encouraging it is when someone says to us 'I thank God for you.' 

I see a couple of things here. 

Paul was grateful for his friends. He was thankful for those who had been and were a part of his ministry. There is a reminder here that we ought to be grateful for our own friends. I am learning that there are few things as valuable as a good solid Christian friend. 

Then, I wonder if I am the kind of friend that people are thankful for. I ought to be the kind of person that makes other people thankful for me. 

There are a lot of things to be thankful for, not the least of which is each other.