2 Corinthians 11:25-26 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.
The above mentioned verses are the condensed version of Paul’s resume. Battered, stoned, shipwrecked, chased and attacked. Many think that when we serve God, our ride should be smooth. It is wrong to think that we will have no enemies just because we believe in Christ and serve Him. The same masses that Jesus loved, healed, taught and preached turned into a mob and cried ‘crucified Him’. If they can do that to the Son of God we are no exceptions. Through the severe opposition and hostile resistance, Paul continued preaching the gospel. Paul was driven out for conducting healing crusades from one town to another. All along Paul was inflicted with insults, insinuations and incarcerations just because he tirelessly proclaimed the good news of the gospel. He healed the broken hearted, proclaimed freedom to the captive and set the prisoners free, yet was ostracized and hated. Paul took pride in the suffering for Christ. He did not question God once. Even when he and his missionary partner Silas were beaten with many blows and were thrown into the prison with their feet fastened in the stocks, they could not stop singing praises. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them (Acts 16:25).
People around us are watching and reading our resume. They are watching the way we react to challenges, disappointments,suffering and pain. Be careful how you live; you are the only Bible some people ever read – William Thomas. Our walk and talk in the marketplace and workplace will draw people to Christ by the way we handle suffering, unfairness, ruthless criticisms and mistreatment. Paul’s last updated CV read I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:7-8a).
What does your CV look like?
1. Suffering: The suffering we go through is not to reprimand us but to rewrite our resume. Paul’s resume was rewritten from a masticator of the gospel to a missionary through the bloody path of suffering.
2. Shaping: The rejection, rebut and rebuff are to shape our resume to reflect Christ. Those who retaliate or get bitter will never be reshaped.
3. Significance: Suffering transforms success into significance. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us (2 Timothy 2:12). Only through suffering will we see the purpose of our existence. The successful are victors but the significant make others succeed and overcome.
Suffering embellishes our CV.
2 Timothy 1:15: As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, we don’t enjoy the suffering we go through but teach us to patiently transform and radiate You through our lives. Amen
Leave a Reply