Thin Skinned?

      I had a little scrape on my arm recently and so decided to put on a band-aid.  The next day, I removed the band-aid and the tape at the end pulled off more skin than the original scrape which then resulted in a bigger band-aid, which I just left on until it fell off after a shower.  I have found that in my later years, my skin is getting thinner and I can easily have a "skin tear."  When I was just getting ready to go to Washington Bible College, my pastor reminded me that a pastor needed to have a skin like that of a Rhinoceros.  He was referring to the criticism of people who would be against the message of the Gospel.   The meaning is a little different we sometimes refer to people as either being thin skinned or thick skinned and we are referring to their attitude.  You can't seem to insult a person who is thick skinned.  The criticism or insults seem to roll off of them like water off of a duck's back.   Matthew 5:2-5 says, "Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,   Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." 
     The passage just mentioned is the beginning of the Beatitudes.  It shows the character of the attitude of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.  The word "blessed" in this passage can also be translated as "happy."  So, why are believers happy in the first place?  the believer is happy because they are secure in the Lord Jesus Christ and there is nothing that Satan, demons, or anything else can do to us to change the outcome.  The truth of John 14:1-5 or Philippians 4:13 or John 3:16 will always remain the same because we are secure in Christ.   The Savior was crucified for the sin of the world which we need to be reminded of the fact that the sin includes your sin and mine.  You may have reaped the insults of people and felt like crawling into a safe and secure place and not coming out for a long time.  If and when you get into that situation, just remember the beatitudes as mentioned here in the opening verses of the Sermon on the Mount.  Find comfort in the words of Christ and you will find that the thickness of your skin is not the issue at all.  Praise God that He is watching over His children.