Title
The Appeal
Scripture
I appeal to you for my son Onesimus…
(Philemon 1:10.)
Devotional
Even though the apostle Paul had the authority to demand the freedom of Onesimus, he, instead, appealed. As a matter of fact, just about the entire book of Philemon is an appeal. Do you think that there is a lesson here? I think so. Of all the methods used to gain the favor of another, the appeal is by far the best and most godly. Badgering, coercing, threatening, intimidating and the like only alienate those we are attempting to convince. You may end up getting your way using these belittling methods, but you will not win the favor of the one you are attempting to convince. A genuine appeal will, at its lowest, disarm rebellion. Badgering and threatening wear people down. The appeal builds them up. With the appeal, everybody wins. Learn to use it wisely and it will serve you and others very well.