Scattered across Paul’s letters are individuals mentioned by name – faithful men and women who were the hidden strength behind his remarkable ministry. In our text, he singled out a man called Onesiphorus. The context in which the apostle mentioned his name is quite instructive. He had just recounted how people forsook him, but he found a different spirit in Onesiphorus. He recalled, “he sought me out very zealously and found me.” To put this in perspective, it is like trying to find a person with no forwarding address in a city like New York, London, or Lagos. You would say that is impossible; yet Onesiphorus pulled that up because of his profound interest in the welfare of Paul.
The way to avoid falling into the pit of despair is not to focus on who or what left you, instead consider the divine witness that God kept in place for you.
It seems that there is something about a name after all. For the avoidance of doubt, Onesiphorus means “one who brings profit.” Did he bring profit to Paul? Absolutely! Here is the Passion Translation of a part of our text: “Nevertheless, so many times Onesiphorus was like a breath of fresh air to me and never seemed to be ashamed of my chains. May our Lord Jesus bestow compassion and mercy upon him and his household.” 2 Timothy 1:16 TPT. Here we learn a valuable lesson that God will always leave behind a witness for those on mission for Him, no matter how tough things get. The way to avoid falling into the pit of despair is not to focus on who or what left you, instead consider the divine witness that God kept in place for you.