Romans 16:1-2

New International Version (NIV)

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

For Meditation

What a remarkable woman she was! Can you picture this special woman called Phoebe through Paul’s testimony about her (Romans 16:1)?

“She has been a benefactor of many people, including me,” Paul writes to the church in Rome (2).

What countless number of itinerant preachers must have been blessed by her selfless service as they passed through Cenchreae. Her unique blend of selflessness and dedication to service, coupled with her unwavering faith, is truly admirable. 

See her in the church. Observe how she comes around somebody in need to help in any way possible. Can you feel the warmth and comfort she brought many a burdened soul as she ministered in her calling as a deaconess in Cenchreae? Can you imagine her Pastor’s joy? Above all, can you imagine God’s delight in her?

Why wouldn’t a person like Phoebe receive such high commendation from the great Apostle to the Gentiles? How would Paul hesitate to recommend her to the brethren in Rome to accord her “any help she may need” (2)?

Reflect on this: Are you living a life worthy of such commendation from your church? Do people truly recognize and appreciate your commitment to service in God’s house? How many have benefited from your kind, encouraging, and hospitable heart? Can you be sure that your Pastor would readily commend you to another church for help, or might there be some hesitation? These are questions worth pondering.

Let us hope and pray that the church will continue to receive blessings from individuals like Phoebe, who serve with their hearts to refresh others in a way worthy of God’s people (2a). May there be a multitude of Phoebes in our midst until the day Christ returns, each one a beacon of selfless service and devotion.

So, may you be a Phoebe, wherever you are, and may you prosper in all your ways and get refreshed by others because you have been a generous benefactor for many in God’s service (Prov. 11:25). The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you! Amen.