We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” vss. 8-9
2 Corinthians 4: 8-13
Paul and his friends did not have an easy time of it as they brought the good news of Jesus to the cities of Greece and Asia Minor. Their message seemed to always stir controversy and they endured beatings and arrests wherever they went. But they never lost heart. They were followers of Jesus and they would carry his cross until they too died. While most of us don’t face the adversity and persecution that Paul endured, there are times when it feels like we’re getting picked on for one reason or another. Some call those occasions their periods of testing, and while the testing may not appear to be severe when compared to what Paul endured, it can begin to undermine our faith. Paul reminds us that it’s in our suffering that our testimony gains credibility. Anyone can sing praises when all things in their lives are in order, but those who give glory to God during the times of perplexity and affliction are amazing witnesses in our faith communities. We know who these people are. They’re not the whiners, complaining about their lives to all who will listen, and even to those who don’t. They’re the men and women who bear on their faces the lines of tears and pain, and who still have smiles for all they encounter. They’ve been struck down, but certainly not destroyed.
Thought for the Day: Why do some whine while others endure?
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