2 Corinthians 11:23-27 NIV “Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open 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. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.” https://bible.com/bible/111/2co.11.23-27.NIV

Paul defined the depth of his ministry and the authenticity of his genuine call as an Apostle, not by success, but by the cost he paid for following Christ and doing His work. Paul defined his Christianity by what he suffered for Christ and the price he paid serving Him. We, as Christians, never define ourselves in this way. We always boast about our success. The size of our churches, the number of attendees at our meetings, or now the number of followers on our social media channels. We boast about our sales, displaying our wealth as signs of God’s blessing, and talk about positivity and claim prosperity as evidence of our faith. It is because we love money more than God that we do these things. We ignore Jesus, our God, Who told us we cannot serve both God and money, but we certainly do try. We should identify the success of our discipleship to Jesus by the amount of suffering we endure because of our identification with Christ. We should identify ourselves as Christians by our austere means, so that we can give as much as possible to the work of God’s kingdom expanding on earth as it rules over all of heaven. Some have multiple houses and country club memberships, spending more on cars and vacations than they give to the cause of Christ. Most keep their identity as Christians in the closet lest they be kept from being liked, being promoted, or being preferred. This kind of Christianity was unknown to Paul, and not lived by God in Man, Jesus, Who suffered and died for claiming to be Savior and God while living among us as One with nowhere to lay His head. What we suffer and what we pay for being Christian is what God will reward when we see Him face-to-face at Judgment. What we accumulate on this earth will be burned and destroyed in the remaking of the world when God returns in Jesus the Savior to live among us as one of us with all of those who have loved Him and suffered for His Name.

RUN TODAY’S PLAY: Faithfulness to Christ is proven through sacrifice, not success. What we suffer for Jesus, He will reward.