在这些经文中，保罗讲述他如何为基督多受苦。从某个角度来看，这些话像是在自夸，而保罗也承认这点。但他表示他这样说的目的，是要显示他与基督相比之下的软弱。
在大马色与耶稣的相遇，永远改变了保罗的一生（使徒行传 9）。主呼召保罗作向外邦人 - 即非犹太人 - 传道的使徒，因此他去过无数的地方，去时大多数是徒步，有时会骑驴或坐车，也有坐船的。他曾在很多陌生和不舒适的地方过夜 - 可能很多时都是睡在冰冷的硬地上。虽然他偶尔会因极度疲倦而倒睡，但他常常会睡眠不足或没有睡觉。在多个晚上，他也可能在忧虑将临的危险或牵挂着他刚建立的教会。
但保罗拒绝去夸耀或沉溺在他面对的困境中。他说如果他要夸耀，他只会夸耀那为他受了更多苦难的耶稣。保罗以有机会服侍耶稣为他的喜乐。
如果我们受到试探去沉溺在自己的不得睡和难处中，我们也应该记着要在耶稣里夸耀衪。
主耶稣，你在十字架上为我们受苦和受死。求你帮助我们背起自己的十字架来跟随和服侍你。阿们。
哥林多后书 6:3-10；11:24-31
3我们凡事都不叫人有妨碍，免得这职分被人毁谤；
4反倒在各样的事上表明自己是神的用人，就如在许多的忍耐，患难，穷乏，困苦，
5鞭打，监禁，扰乱，勤劳，警醒，不食，
6廉洁，知识，恒忍，恩慈，圣灵的感化，无伪的爱心，
7真实的道理，神的大能；仁义的兵器在左在右，
8荣耀羞辱，恶名美名；似乎是诱惑人的，却是诚实的；
9似乎不为人所知，却是人所共知的；似乎要死，却是活着的；似乎受责罚，却是不致丧命的；
10似乎忧愁，却是常常快乐的；似乎贫穷，却是叫许多人富足的；似乎一无所有，却是样样都有的。
24被犹太人鞭打五次，每次四十减去一下；
25被棍打了三次，被石头打了一次，遇着船坏三次，一昼一夜在深海里。
26又屡次行远路，遭江河的危险、盗贼的危险、同族的危险、外邦人的危险、城里的危险、旷野的危险、海中的危险、假弟兄的危险。
27受劳碌、受困苦，多次不得睡，又饥又渴，多次不得食，受寒冷，赤身露体。
28除了这外面的事，还有为众教会挂心的事天天压在我身上。
29有谁软弱我不软弱呢？有谁跌倒我不焦急呢？
30我若必须自夸，就夸那关乎我软弱的事便了。
31那永远可称颂之主耶稣的父神知道我不说谎。
"I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep. . . ." - 2 Corinthians 11:27
In these passages Paul describes many of his sufferings for the cause of Christ. In a way these litanies can sound like boasting, and Paul admits that. But his aim, he says, is to show his own weakness in comparison to Christ.
Paul's encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus changed his life forever (Acts 9). The Lord called him to be an apostle to the Gentiles—non-Jewish peoples—so Paul traveled to countless destinations, mostly walking, sometimes on a donkey or riding in a cart, and other times by ship. He spent many nights in unfamiliar and uncomfortable places—perhaps frequently on the cold, hard ground. Though sometimes he probably fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, he often went for long periods without enough sleep or without sleep at all. He also may have spent many nights filled with anxiety about impending dangers or concerns for his fledgling churches.
But Paul refuses to boast or wallow in the hardships he faced. He says that if he is going to boast, he will boast only about Jesus, who suffered so much more for him. Paul counts it as a joy that he has had the opportunity to serve Jesus.
If we are tempted to wallow in our own loss of sleep and hardships, we too should remember and boast in Jesus.
Lord Jesus, you suffered on the cross and died for us. Help us, we pray, to bear our crosses as we seek to follow and serve you. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
