Suffering Endured

Verse of the day: 1 Peter 2:18-19 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.

At some point in our life we may have someone in authority over us who is not a Christian, very ungodly, and difficult to work for or deal with. Some of us may also have opportunity to work for, or deal with, someone who may, or may not, be a Christian, and a joy to work for. As born again believers, what should be our response to either person? In 1 Peter 2 we are given instruction on how we should behave toward those in authority, regardless of which of these two categories they fall under. The Apostle Peter points out that the Lord was our example in how we should respond. He also reminds us that suffering for doing good, and doing the right thing is commendable, as opposed to suffering as a consequence of our own wrong doing. With that said, there will be moments when we will be persecuted, and mistreated, by those who are in authority over us, and those who may even be our equal. The bottom line is that when we follow the Lord, and choose what is right, and good, we are going to face opposition in a dark world. Jesus was clear in that if He was persecuted, we too would be persecuted (For the servant is not greater than the Master). Yet, when He was reviled, He did not revile in return, or threaten, but instead submitted to His Father’s will. So we too, when we are treated unjustly, are to respond in the same manner, submitting to the will of God, which is clearly stated for us in this chapter. In the end, our proper response will put to shame the person who is mistreating us (by returning good for evil), and God will be glorified, as others see how we have chosen to handle the situation. Ultimately it is not about how we feel or what the other person thinks. It is not about who gets the upper hand or who proves what to whom. It is all about what God wants from us as a response to how we are sometimes treated in this world. If God’s perfect Son can suffer for our sake (even unto the death of the Cross); all to bring us eternal life, then we, as His children, and as His representatives here on earth, can suffer for a moment, for His sake, and the sake of the Gospel. You never know…the same person that persecutes or troubles us today may be the person that God chooses for us to lead to Him tomorrow. Let us not burn those bridges by responding in a way that is common in the world (and will ruin our testimony for Jesus), causing us to go against what God has told us is right to do. Let our response, and attitude, be all for the glory of our God!