“We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: In great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as imposters; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” 2Corinthians 6:3-10 No one said working for the Master would be easy! We see, here, all the things Paul went through in serving our Lord Jesus. When we read the letters of Paul and the Book of Acts, we get an up-close look at the life of a servant of God. Pretty scary huh? The apostle James said, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds….” (James 1:2). Paul certainly faced a mountain of them! He was beaten, shipwrecked, run out of town and stoned. Yet, through all these trials his main concern was honoring the Lord. He didn’t want to bring reproach to the Name of his Lord Jesus. If these men found joy in adversity and reward in affliction, why should we expect anything different? Last week’s scripture said, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1Cor. 15:58). Paul knew what it was like to get knocked around by life, but still he stood firm. He gave above and beyond what anyone would have expected of him. Have we been beaten for the sake of the Gospel? Have we been imprisoned? Have we been cold, hurting and shipwrecked for the sake of the Gospel? NO! There may come a day when we will be called upon to suffer some of the same things for Jesus, but right now shouldn’t we endure a little discomfort to bring the good news of salvation to a dying world? Can’t we overcome fear or discomfort to bring a smile to a face or joy to a broken heart? Paul said, “…you have not resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” (Heb. 12:4). We haven’t been called upon, yet, to die for the gospel like Paul did, but we can at least leave our comfort zones for one lost sheep! We can give of ourselves and have great joy in doing it. What are we willing to endure for the sake of working for the Master? Anything?