So often we hear such remarks as these: "He is sensitive to a fault;" "She is so easily hurt;" "I know I am thin-skinned;" "He is so quick to take offense." Sometimes these remarks come from and about Christians. Christians, that means Christlike. Let us note the parallel. Of Him we read, "He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth." He taught, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." In the last agonizing hour of the Saviour's life on earth, as He suffered the tortures of His persecutors, no thought of His own rights or privileges, no thought of His own pain and insult, no thought of retaliation or revenge, came to Him. Instead that great heart of love went out to the very ones who took His life, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
And Christians, Christ-followers, are "thin-skinned," "easily offended," "hurt"! Where is the parallel? Professing to follow His example, they fail in the real test. It is no credit to a man that he does not fall when no temptations come; it is no credit to him that he is sweet and pleasant when not a cross or unkind or untrue word has been said to him or about him; it is no credit to him that he is meek and lowly when no one has abused him; indeed, all these virtues are virtues only when the trials come. Then is the time to be Christlike.
It is weak, babyish, to whine because some one has mistreated you. Think of Paul as complaining of the injustice of his fellows, and then read his beautiful words on the charity which "beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." No real martyr ever poses as such.