1 Timothy 4:9–10
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
Paul says something here that feels steady and weighty at the same time.
“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.”
In other words, do not miss this. This is something you can build your life on.
Then he explains why he and others keep going. They labour. They endure reproach. They keep working even when it costs them something. Why? Because they trust in the living God.
That word living matters. Paul is not trusting a philosophy or a system. He is trusting Someone who is alive.
And that kind of trust shows up in a person’s life.
It raises a hard question.
Suppose everything changed overnight. Suppose the government collapsed and a godless dictator appeared on national television and said that anyone connected to Jesus Christ must be reported immediately. Would your neighbors know who to name? Would people at work point in your direction? Would classmates say, “Yes, that one. That one belongs to Jesus”?
It is a searching thought.
Paul says reproach comes with the territory. If your life is openly tied to Christ, some people will not understand it. Some will resist it. Some may even resent it.
But notice the tone Paul keeps.
He does not sound bitter. He does not sound defensive. He simply says this is part of trusting the living God.
And then he adds something remarkable. The same Jesus we trust is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
Even the ones who mock.
Even the ones who misunderstand.
Even the ones who push back.
The One we follow is their Savior too.
That changes how we carry the reproach. It keeps the heart soft. It keeps us from turning harsh or cynical. The people who oppose us are still people Christ loves.
So we keep labouring. We keep trusting. We keep living openly for Him.
And if reproach comes, it simply means our life is pointing in the right direction.