I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy.
– 2 Timothy 1:3-4
When the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, he said, “I recall your tears” (2 Tim. 1:4). When people shed tears, usually they are being very genuine. To have tears is another factor for being approved. Watchman Nee wrote,
Physically speaking, only a tear can wash a man’s eyes. The world has so much dust and dirt constantly intruding upon them that, fortunately, with the incessant washing of tears a person may have clearer sight….In the physical realm, a few more tears will cause you to see more clearly. Similarly, without a few tears your spiritual eyes would soon lose their function (Practical Issues of this Life, pp. 4–5).
Adapted from Philippians: “That I May Gain Christ,”
by Titus Chu, page 156.
Tomorrow: “Showing Genuineness in Tears” (2)