Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name.
1 Peter 4:16
Have you heard the expression, "throw in the towel?" It comes from boxing; when a fighter concedes a fight, they toss their towel into the ring. This usually happens when the boxer has suffered an injury that prevents them from continuing the match.
Sometimes in our Christian life, we may feel like that boxer that has been pummeled. We are reeling against the ropes, exhausted and battered. Satan has no compassion, only punishment; he wants to see us go down. To be honest, at times, we are tempted to quit and desperately want to throw in the towel. We just want it to end. But in those times we feel defeated, we have God providing us with the strength and courage to continue. He wraps us in his arms of compassion. He is always in our corner.
We aren’t fighting for some silly inconsequential worldly boxing match but the glory of God. The Apostle Peter goes on to say the witness serves a purpose (4:18), “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinners?” We should not feel disgraced when we suffer, for our experiences, serve as a testimony to God’s greatness to others, “Look at what God has brought me through!”
Precious Lord, we give you thanks for your love and compassion. When we feel defeated, you are there to strengthen us, to provide us with the courage to carry on. We confess we don’t like the suffering, we don’t understand why, but we let our lives be a witness when we suffer. Let our testimonies of your glory be known to others that they may come to find you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Blessings!
Pastor Tim
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