1 Corinthians 16:17-18 I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus because they have supplied what was lacking on your part. For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore, acknowledge such men.
The Greek word ἀναπαύω (anapao) means "to provide rest and bring peace, to bring ease and enrich or refresh someone."
Believers in Christ get to do just that in the lives of others, just like those 3 men arrived in Ephesus to visit Paul back in the day.
Paul rejoiced when he saw them, because before their arrival, he was always confronted with unbelief and doubt around him most of the time, yet when these men arrived, they brought what we got to see Jesus did during His ministry: Godly peace and rest and ease which refreshed other people's spirits.
I mean, think about it; we are talking about Paul here, and Paul of all people said these 3 men uplifted his spirit by their arrival!
This made me think, 'What does our arrival do unto fellow believers?'
Do we uplift their spirit, bring the Lord's peace and rest with us, and bring ease amongst our eternal family members?
But the great reminder Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus leave unto fellow believers is that we too get to live in Christ and bring change wherever we go. Three men out of thousands of other believers in Corinth enriched Paul's spirit as they brought Jesus’ peace and rest and refreshment with them as it touched Paul and their own people.
There's a familiar saying that reminds me of what Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus did: "You've got to be in it to win it."
Are we fully in Christ?
Because these 3 men were operating in His peace, in His rest, and refreshed in Him, and wherever they were, amongst thousands of fellow believers or amongst the unbelievers in the world, they manifested the life in Christ's real rest, real peace and real refreshment, just as Christ did during His ministry.
Don’t forget that your life in Christ will uplift others and refresh their spirit, as we get to bring His peace and rest with us wherever we go, and simultaneously, we are reminded to acknowledge and thank the Lord for those who uplift our spirit in Christ.
Amen