August 4

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. — 2 Cor 11:30 BSB

A patriot soldier’s wounds and scars are his badges of honor, not disfigurements to be ashamed of.

An English soldier called his scars his decorations. Paul speaks of his sufferings and trials as the marks of his ministry, and he takes pride in them. “If I must boast, I will boast of my weaknesses.”

In another letter, Paul calls these marks “the marks of Jesus,” branded on his body.

We don’t often think this way about the costs of following Christ. We tend to complain about what we suffer.

But if we suffer for Christ, we are honored. Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people… persecute you.”