…giving no offense,
in no respect,
so that
the (our) ministry
might not be faulted,
but in every thing
we commend ourselves
as God’s servants,
by great endurance:
a. in afflictions
b. in hardships
c. in difficulties
A. in beatings
B. in imprisonments
C. in riots
α. in hard work
β. in sleepnessness
γ. in hunger –
1. by purity
2. by understanding
3. by patience
4. by kindness
i. by the Holy Spirit
ii. by sincere love –
iii. by the word of love
iv. by the power of God
by the weapons of righteousness
for the right hand and the left –
in glory and dishonour
in ill repute and good repute
1. (considered) as deceivers, yet are truthful
2. as unknown, yet well known
3. as dying, yet, look, we are live
4. as punished, yet not killed,
5. as sad, but always rejoicing
6. as poor, but making many rich,
7. as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.