1 Peter: Set Apartنموونە

Christian Suffering

As we have seen time and time again in this letter, suffering is normal and even expected for believers. Christians are not exempt from it. It’s not due to a lack of faith or God punishing you, it’s simply the reality of living in a broken world.

Although Christians in America (and in many parts of the world, though certainly not in all) don’t suffer for following Jesus like the original readers of 1 Peter, we can still face hardships because of our faith.

Even if it might look different for us than believers in first-century Rome, we can sometimes compare our situations to that in an unhealthy way and think, “well I just need to get over any difficulties my faith does present to me and not complain.”

It’s okay to be honest about the difficulties our faith presents in our lives. For example, being faithful could mean:

• Making less money at your job or being passed up for promotions because you won’t cut corners
• People acting different around you or not including you in conversations because you want to avoid hurtful gossip
• People judge how you parent or the priority you give your family over working an unhealthy amount of hours per week
• People assume because you are a Christian you, therefore, you must judge people in ways that you don’t
• Being excluded or gossipped about because of your unwillingness to compromise your beliefs/ethics

There are still many ways following Jesus can be difficult today. But there is good news, for if you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed because God’s Spirit is with you (verse 14). But our suffering should come from doing good, not because we are being a jerk.

In verse 15 Peter writes, “Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, or a meddler.” In other words, sometimes we face suffering because we make poor decisions. It isn’t always because God is disciplining us or making us endure something so we can experience a “breakthrough.”

That being said, why would we want to follow Jesus if it could mean additional suffering in our life? According to Peter, it’s because what is coming to us in the future is greater than any difficulty we may experience now.

In this life, following Jesus can bring suffering and hardship we would not have experienced otherwise. However, in our suffering, we can partake in a small way in the suffering of Christ. Yet the grace of salvation motivates us to endure. It may be hard now, but it will be incomparable to the glory that awaits us in God’s kingdom.

Because of what Christ has done for us, we can give up everything knowing what is awaiting us in the field of God’s kingdom.

Today's reflection

What hardships are you currently facing in your life that are causing you to doubt God’s goodness? What would it look like to ask the Lord to give you the courage to endure?