“If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified” (1 Peter 4:14).

Peter knew what it was like to be reproached for the name of Christ. There are two ways to be reproached. The first way would be when someone lives miserably and really has it coming! The second way would be when a believer genuinely lives for Christ, is gracious in his or her stand for Christ and is reproached for it. That’s what Peter wrote about and what happened to Frank at work. He graciously declined the invitations to go to questionable places with the guys in his department. He didn’t appreciate dirty jokes, and from time-to-time he would speak briefly of the joy of belonging to his Savior. The sinful men who surrounded him at work made life difficult at times for Frank. But it was in those difficult times that Frank discovered a deep-seated joy that the Lord gave him. How about you? Has this taken place in your life at your work or even within your family?

For today: If someone is going to be mad at me, I hope it is because of my love for Christ!