“And we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.” – 1 Corinthians 4:12-13
Christian life isn’t always glamorous, pleasant, or fun! That’s because our work is so important and our rewards so enormous! If you’re a Christian, you’ve literally been given the mission to rescue people from the ferocious grip of sin, death, and hell. What could be more precious or important than saving the souls of people made in God’s image by introducing them to Jesus, helping them reconcile with God, and teaching them to live transformed lives in obedience to Christ?
Making disciples is messy, hard work, but God gave it to you! If you’re a Christian, this is your task and you do it in the power and presence of Jesus. Jesus is with you every step of the way, strengthening you, encouraging you, and sustaining you. Jesus who gave up everything to do this for you! Jesus who stepped out of glory into the humiliation of earthly life. Jesus who was reviled, persecuted, slandered, betrayed, condemned, tortured, and killed before rising from death. Jesus suffered to rescue you by God’s grace, so that you could experience eternal life in Him while rescuing others.
With that eternal life, you’re now empowered to work hard, be reviled, persecuted, and slandered, responding to all that with blessing, endurance, and reconciliation. Because God has made you exalted, beloved, and embraced in His eyes, you’re called and equipped to live as the scum of the world, treated like garbage for a time, but always with the assurance that you are and will be treasured by God forever and ever.