puny, pouty, & prissy

This is written by Paul, the apostle, in his second letter to the band of Christ followers in Corinth.

He's comparing himself to some false prophets that have been causing trouble w/ the believers.



2 Corinthians 11

23b I have worked harder,

     been put in prison more often,

     been whipped times without number,

     and faced death again and again.

24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods.

Once I was stoned. (dan note: & they left him for dead!)

Three times I was shipwrecked.

Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.

26 I have traveled on many long journeys.

I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers.

I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews,

     as well as from the Gentiles.

I have faced danger in the cities,

     in the deserts,

     and on the seas.

And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.

27 I have worked hard and long,

     enduring many sleepless nights.

I have been hungry

     and thirsty

     and have often gone without food.

I have shivered in the cold,

     without enough clothing to keep me warm.



  28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.

29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness?

Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?



  30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.

31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying.

32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me.

33 I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.



And do you know what I think about each time I read this?

I think how prissy, puny, & precious we all are.

I think about how we whine that we are under so much persecution.

I think about how we get so pouty if people don't talk to us as nice as we think they should.

I think...

Well, I think about a lot of things.



We don't have it bad at all.

And we whine & act like martyrs of the cross when our lives aren't just peachy keen.



How many of us would still be Christ followers if we had to endure just ONE of the things Paul did?



Think about what Paul must have looked like after all that abuse.

I doubt if he took very many bare chested selfies in the bathroom mirror.


Think about what Paul lists here, & then let's ask ourselves,

     "Would I go through that just because I was a Christ follower?"