Why Suffer?

Here's a remarkable thing: 1 Peter 3:17 "It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." Who would have thunk it! This is one of those verses that seem to mention the obvious. I love these verses because sometimes the simplest most obvious things are also the most profound. Let me say it again, "It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." Does this mean we are supposed to suffer?

Verse 18 goes on to say "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." Our sins are as far away from us as the east is from the west. We have been set free from the binds and curse of sin. Hallelujah! However this does not mean we will not suffer at all, it just means we don't have to suffer for eternity for our sins. You with me?

Now check this out: Romans 8: 35-39 "35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “ For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." How can we be conquerors if we have nothing to overcome? We may face "tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword," and we will be faced with principalities, powers, thing of past and present and all sorts of shapes. But always remember it is for and because of the love of Christ that we will come out victorious.

We must suffer, it is a part of life as morbid as it seems. Could you imagine being a Christian without suffering. Seems like it would be easy huh! EEEEEEEEEEERR Wrong! If being a Christian meant never suffering, what need would we have to depend on God for. We all need to go through some things so we can learn to lean on Him. In our walk with Christ we need to suffer from time to time for His sake and the sake of strengthening our faith. Haven't you heard the saying "if you don't use it you lose it." We exercise our faith not when we are doing well but when we need something or there is a mountain in front of us; we need to exercise our faith.

We all should have learned by the time were wee; it is really bad to suffer for being bad. It is something ingrained in us "if you do the crime you do the time." A person cannot escape the repercussions of their wrong actions on life, so it makes sense to suffer for wrong-doing, isn't that justice. But to suffer for Christ is a noble thing. It is also a required thing, without it Christianity as a whole would have perished at the cross because nobody would have made any sacrifices. Our relationship with God should be a take, take, give relationship, not a take, take, take. What I mean is God provides us with so much and he will continue to do so but He desires we give some back, perhaps make some sacrifices for Him; after all He did suffer and die for us and does deserve our sacrifice.

1 Peter 3:13-15 "13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." Our best defense against this unavoidable suffering is to be prepared standing on the word of God. The word of God is your sword, do not go into battle without it. Proverbs 16:7 "When a man's ways please th Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."

God bless