Pebbles, Godliness & Suffering
“12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (1Peter 4:12-14; ESV)
Verse 12: Suffering as normal and how to respond
- Trials from a life of faith are not out of place. They are not anomalies. They are not abnormal. They may be misunderstood in those ways, but that is not a mature view.
- As a rock in a shoe is godliness in the world.
Be a good pebble
- When Jesus lived he did those things that people sort of knew they should do
- Jesus once met a religious fellow on a roof 1 and said that those whose deeds are evil will not come into the light. 2
- People know that their deeds are not what they should be but they rather like them
- One of my children upon confronting a friend’s choices was told, “I know it is wrong, but I like it.”
- Jesus did not only live a certain way, but he said if we want to be like him we must live as he lived.
- A life of discipleship is a life different.
- That different life has contrast
- A Christ follower should have contrast with the world and that contrast convicts3.
- Those convicted by the Christian’s lifestyle will to varying extents rise up against it. The Christian will then suffer in some manner.
- The relationship my child had with the friend they confronted has not fallen apart, but it is less warm.
- This is why trials from a life of faith 4 are not abnormal.
- God’s type of life way grinds against the sinner.
- The sinner will have to respond
- They might repent and align with Christ putting away their rebellion 5
- They then really get to a safe place
- Or…the sinner may attempt to grind the Christian
- To get to a “safe” place, a place they would call comfortable
- They collide with the Christian. They produce suffering for the Christian
- This often does not mean physical harm, but it is unpleasant.
- They might repent and align with Christ putting away their rebellion 5
- How may one respond? How should one respond?
- The Christian must learn to accept this as normal being not surprised at its reality.
- This is a part or a facet of maturity.
- Pray that it can be understood and installed in the outlook (over and over again…these lessons are not once-off lessons)
- The Christian does not like the suffering that they feel and may be tempted to be less godly, to have less contrast.
- Don’t get squashed back into one’s shell by the suffering.
-
Going back into one’s shell when difficulty comes is what turtles do…Don’t be a hiding turtle.
- Key side issue here…do not discomfort others through the misapplication of spiritual principles (see verse 15 of this chapter). Don’t be crusty and judgmental. That just makes you unpleasant and gives God a bad name. Don’t pray over your dinner at the restaurant and then fuss to high heaven over the temperature of the food.
Don’t be a bad pebble
- The Christian must learn to accept this as normal being not surprised at its reality.
Verse 13: Retool the emotions of suffering6.
- In verse 12 Peter says don’t be taken off-guard by fiery trials.
- Do not be surprised by reality. Jesus said it would be so 7 and it has been so.
- In this verse he aims to replace the things removed with something better: joy.
- Remove and replace
- Surprise out / Joy in
- Odd it is to be told to view suffering, trials, difficulty with joy.
- It is not saying that the bitter should be re-labeled as sweet or the bad as good.
- It is not saying that suffering is pleasant or that one’s mental experience needs to be turned on its head
- It is saying that the one who suffers for Christ’s sake, for his initiatives, for being like God 8 should learn to accept that as evidence of things not seen.
- Such troubles are markers of excellence as I went over in the section on verses 1 and 2 of this chapter.
- It is not saying that the bitter should be re-labeled as sweet or the bad as good.
- Peter is trying to draw believers through the intellect (recognize suffering for what it is) and on to joy. He is trying to break the mold of despondent surprise and replace it with something better: dependent joy. This is a mature reaction to suffering.
- With maturity should come new inner reactions
- When Christ arrived in our world and began his lessons of repent for the kingdom of heaven is near he was trying to help us ‘remember’ that something that was lost.
- God’s style of life is that which was lost.
- God’s style of life is the right style though it will be a sharp rock in some people’s shoes leading them to malign those who live that way.
- With maturity should come new inner reactions
Verse 14: A new communion with God.
- A different communion with God develops in the presence of suffering.
- Maturity in God is all about growing in dependence and relationship with him: communion, connection.
- Suffering fosters dependence
- As the Holy Spirit rests on a a suffering believer so the believer rests upon God.
- Therein is a blessing
- Can one learn to look through the fog of suffering to: recognize it as a marker of excellence?
- Can one learn to look through the fog of suffering to: value the communion with God it brings?
Some key concepts for these verses:
- Suffering as normal (verse 12)
- Retool the emotional reaction to trials and suffering (verse 13)
- Insults for being like Christ are indicators of being like Christ (verse 14)