SCRIPTURE:
“If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!”
1 Peter 4:14-16
OBSERVATION:
Peter is giving the believers an encouragement for preparing to suffer for His name and His sake.
We will be persecuted. We will be put to the test. And we will neeed to endure pain.
And Peter should know. He ended up suffering greatly for being a follower of Jesus.
He went from a cowardly fisherman disciple, who couldn’t even stand up for Jesus against some women, to being one of the boldest of His apostles, being crucified upside down so as not to dishonor the death of His Savior.
But...Peter sticks a caveat in there. Make sure you suffer well, for the right things.
If you suffer for committing a crime or for doing dumb things, that’s just getting what you deserve. Punishment.
But suffering while maintaining your integrity and moral uprightness, and most of all, sharing our faith? Well, that makes Jesus look glorious!
APPLICATION:
Simply put. Suffer well. Suffer right.
Don’t do dumb things that are clearly not Scripturally upright. Or else the suffering you get, will be what you deserve for being a bonehead.
Suffering for doing wrong, or for being an irritating pain in the neck to someone else isn’t righteous or heroic. It’s outright embarrassing. Worthy of a social media post of “don’t be that guy”, or “sucks to be you”.
To be insulted for honoring Jesus with our lives may cost us some comfort. It might feel awkward and even lonely. But it is no shame to suffer for being obedient to His voice.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, help me from myself because I know it’s not if, it’s when I will do dumb things.
I want to suffer for that which glorifies You. Help me to suffer well. Amen.
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