Good Morning Friends,
“For it seems to me that God has put us
apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in
the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as
well as to men. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are
weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour
we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are
homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when
we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to
this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.” (1
Corinthians 4:9-13)
The apostles were not second-class citizens in
the Kingdom of God. Of course they weren’t, they were among God’s most beloved
and honored servants. Yet, they suffered significantly because of their work
for the Lord. They were ridiculed and mocked. They lived in poverty and need.
They often had to support themselves even though they were giving themselves to
others in preaching and teaching about Christ. They were slandered and physically
abused. All of these things happened, not because they did anything illegal or
wrong, but because of their work for the Lord.
The point -- serving Christ does not guarantee
a life blessed by earthly standards. In fact, serving Christ may contribute to
life’s pain, not ease it.
How did the apostles respond to the ill-treatment
they received? They did not return insult for insult or pain for pain. They
continued to bless those around them. They patiently endured the suffering
without fighting back. They did not respond with hatred, but with kindness,
even to those who hurt them. They modeled the same kind of attitudes seen in
the life of Jesus.
Sometimes serving the Lord brings difficulty --
but He’s worth it! The difficulty we experience does not give us license to
respond in ways that do not reflect the grace and kindness of the Lord toward
those around us, even those who hurt us.
His, by Grace, Steve
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