“Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place; and labor, working with our own hands: being reviled we bless: being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the off-scouring of all things to this day.” (I Corinthians 4:11-13)
Very often when we Christians pray, we thank God for food, clothes and shelter. Paul the apostle had a shortage of all of these but never complained. Even though God had ordained that they who preach the gospel should live of the gospel, Paul worked with his own hands and supported himself. He never embraced the “health and wealth” religion so prevalent today.
When he was defamed and gossiped about and his name besmirched he prayed for those who were guilty. He was considered to be the filth of the world. He was considered the off-scouring of all things. Sometimes a stove oven will have baked on stuff where something has boiled over in the oven. The stuff one scrapes off is useless off-scouring. Dead bugs scraped off a car wind-shield are another example of useless off-scouring. The world considers the dedicated, committed Christian to be useless off-scouring. That is part of being considered a fool for Christ: willing to be counted as nothing and of no value in the eyes of the world.
Are you willing to suffer the loss of all things for the Lord Jesus Christ and for the sake of the Gospel of Salvation?
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