Week Three - Observation 3

I'm not even going to say it!  Not going to mention that "it's Monday again!"  Because today I have to say, "CAN YOU BELIEVE IT IS AUGUST?"  I cannot!  This summer, strange as it has been, has really flown by.  If you are like me, you are ready to welcome the sweet months of fall - it's my favorite time of the year.  But it is also the time of the year that goes the very fastest for me.  I always say, one day it's Labor Day and two weeks later it's Thanksgiving!  At least that's the way it goes for me.  I always have great plans of getting a jump start on the holidays, and it seems as if they always sneak up on me about a month earlier than I'm planning on!  The holidays...there's something to think about.  How will they look in this strange year of 2020 with COVID still hanging on?  Don't we live in times of uncertainty?  It is certainly a year requiring faith and trust.  And that is why we come together to ponder God's Word, to absorb it's truth and to leave, hopefully, a little more sure of who our loving Father is and what He is asking of us in these very unusual, very strange days.

We've looked at Christ's response to suffering, now we want to look at how His example can direct us in our times of trial.

Remember the question we're posing this week?  Why does God allow people, especially believers in Him, to suffer and why does He permit pain in our lives?

And our verse to memorize:  

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."  Romans 8:18

OBSERVATION:

1 Peter 4:1-2, 14-16, 19   "Therefore since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same resolve - because the One who suffered in the flesh has finished with sin - in order to live the remaining time in the flesh, no longer for human desires, but for God's will.

"If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.  None of you, however, should suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a meddler.  But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he should not be ashamed, but should glorify God with that name."

"So those who suffer according to God's will should, in doing good, entrust themselves to a faithful Creator."

1 Peter 3:14-17  "But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed, but set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.  However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame."

There's a lot here as far as ways in which we can suffer and directions as to how we should handle our times of trials and suffering.  

First thing I notice is that Christ "suffered in the flesh."  Jesus suffered physically - in His body - He took on extreme pain, physical pain, for us and for His part in God's redemptive plan.  We are instructed to have that same resolve - to endure physical pain.  I know for most of us, the thought of physical pain is one of the hardest things to consider.  But we have to.  We may undergo physical pain at the hands of someone persecuting us, or we may well undergo physical pain due to disease or accident.   There is ample opportunity in this broken world of ours for us to confront the problem of physical pain.  We need to resolve now, how we will handle pain when it comes our way.  And Peter tells us that our resolve should be to live whatever time we have left on this earth (in the flesh), for God's purposes, not for worldly achievement or gain, not looking forward to all the many things that we have held up as life's goals - simply to live our lives doing what God asks of us, whatever that may be, right now.  

I have seen it before and I'm seeing it again, when we go through times of suffering and pain, peoples' vision becomes so much clearer as to what is truly important in life.  It is a purifying process of removing the meaningless and reducing priorities to the very most important.  Peter reminds us that the by ultimate, most important priority for us as Christians is to do the will of God.  Let us resolve now, before pain presents itself (or during pain for some), to do just that - just what God asks of us today.  And then when pain comes, in whatever form, let us keep that resolve and be strengthened by knowing that we are following Christ's example and remembering that we are never alone, that God has not forsaken us, and that our pain - no matter how intense, is temporary.  God still has us in His arms.

                                                

Peter goes on to say that when we experience suffering, in this case by way of ridicule (revile), the same word that Jesus uses in Matthew 5:11 when He says that those who are reviled for His name sake shall be blessed, that the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon us.  When we stand up for Christ against opposition and ridicule, I picture that same Spirit that descended upon Jesus at His baptism coming down upon us and declaring that we are His children in whom He is very pleased.  That would be glory for me!  Obviously, Peter points out that suffering for doing evil gains no reward  - shouldn't even be a consideration for Christians to be categorized as such!  But when our suffering is a result of our taking the name of Christ and being called a Christian, then let's hold our heads high and bring glory to God by standing strong in our faith.  And that makes me think of another thing...the term "Christian" has been abandoned by some in favor of "Christ-follower".  I'm fine with being called a Christ-follower, but I don't ever want to be ashamed to be called a Christian, either.  I think the argument has been made that the connotation of the term "Christian" lends itself to an image that many people don't want tied to - that of uptight, narrow-minded church goers.  But just because the world may want to tie that very one-sided picture to our name, doesn't mean we should ever abandon it.  We are told not be to ashamed of being a Christian.  I won't be. I am a Christian - I am a Christ-follower.  I cannot be a Christian without being a Christ-follower.  I don't see how anyone can be a Christ-follower and not want to be called a Christian.  We are taking on His name when we do so - we are identifying with Him.  Let's not let the world steal that identifier from us.

Peter then encourages all those who suffer to trust their souls to a "faithful Creator."  Notice Peter doesn't say to entrust our bodies - our bodies may undergo pain and suffering and torment.  God may or may not rescue our bodies from such, according to His will.  But our souls...oh, those we can totally trust God to deliver.  I find it unusual that Peter uses "faithful Creator" here.  It's the only time that he or any other apostle uses this name to reference God.  I think maybe Peter is wanting to remind us that we can trust the One who made us, the Creator of our souls, and who has been faithful to be with us throughout our lives.  That's the One that we can entrust our souls to - He is our origin and He will do what is the best for us.  Our bodies may perish - but our souls belong to our faithful Creator.

Jumping back to the third chapter of 1 Peter, we hear Peter again remind us that we are blessed when we suffer for righteousness, for that which is right and good.  We are instructed not to let our enemies get to us (intimidation tactics) and not to even get upset by it (troubled or disturbed)!  How do we do that?  How do we remain calm and unbothered when people throw barbs our way for doing what we think is right?  Well I know what Peter is telling us not to do - don't react in kind!  Don't act like they're acting!  I see this happening sometimes - Christians are stooping to the same level as non-Christians in their reactions to arguments and coming across as not very loving at all.

What Peter goes on to explain is that we should use these opportunities to tell people WHY it is that we desire to do what we're doing, to give an account for the hope that lives within us - to PROCLAIM Christ and His love to others, even those who oppose us.  And Peter even adds that we are to do this with gentleness (in a calm and mild manner) and with respect.  We're to be people of honor, so that when people speak badly of us, they will have nothing to stand on.  We should always carry the name of Christ so highly in regard that we would do nothing, as Christians bearing His name, to bring dishonor to Him.  If that results in being treated badly, so be it - we will have been faithful to Him.  Let us know that our suffering comes from doing what is right, for being a Christ-follower in His example of suffering for God's purposes. And when we are suffering from causes other than persecution, such as illness, accident or heart-wrenching circumstances in our lives, let us still use these times as an opportunity to testify to our hope - life with God forever, through the blood of Jesus that covers all our sins and through His resurrection, showing us God's power over death and our promise of new life as well!  This is our hope - this is our promise!

In His Amazing Love,

Janice

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