Commending Ourselves

3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6  by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.—2 Corinthians 6:3-10 (ESV)

If there is one way we validate our message and our God, it is in how we respond to opposition and hardship and insult and attack. Do we love? Do we remain calm and patient? Do we bless our enemies and give to them? Hopefully there is a drastic difference between you and most others when someone “cuts you off” in traffic, or when someone slanders you. Do you curse in your heart? Do you yell and get impatient? Let us not put an obstacle in anyone’s way (v. 3) with our behavior. Rather let us make many rich (v. 10).