The folly of blessing others

''When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly...'' These are the words of the apostle Paul describing an apostle's response to mistreatment (1Cor 4:12). The mistreatment to which he refers is not only what he received from the godless people of the world but also what he was receiving from some who called themselves ''brothers.'' Why did he respond in this way? The Corinthians, to whom Paul was writing, sought personal glory and the glory they sought evaluated Paul's responses as weakness and folly unbecoming of a true leader. But this was a temporary glory, good only for the duration of a man's life. Paul, however, sought eternal glory. So, he exalted in such weakness and folly, and in suffering for Christ, and in the opportunity to imitate Christ in them because these are the qualities God will honor. These were the qualities displayed in Jesus.
This has been one of the more convicting passages I have studied lately. I, like a Corinthian, accept the standard of this age and resist being thought a fool. Yet, as I realized, there has never been a marital conflict where it does not apply; there's never been a work environment where a Christian can't put this into practice; there's never been a mistreatment toward which the believer can't embrace this foolish way of living. And there's no promise that doing so will improve the situation. This is simply our calling, just as suffering for Christ is our calling, and as Paul recognized our reward comes later. Sometimes it helps in the here and now, but mostly those who live like this will be called fools. Glory in it! Jesus did.