Suffering For The
Right Reason
“For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well
doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the
just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the
spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering
of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few,
that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even
baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh,
but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and
authorities and powers being made subject unto him.” (1 Peter 3:17-22)
Today’s Morsel: What I have
found when counseling with people is that most of them are suffering or going
through things in their lives for the wrong reason. Many of them are
suffering because they are trying to meet deadlines because they have
procrastinated on their duties. They never get the oil changed in their
car and now they have major maintenance issues which are costing them large
sums of money. They are in jail because they were hanging out with the
wrong crowd. They are in major debt because they did not learn to stop
spending. Or they said something that they should not have said when it
was none of their business to be involved. Peter said that it is better
if we suffer for the right reason than the wrong reason. He states,
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,
as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are
partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye
may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of
Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on
their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none
of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody
in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed;
but let him glorify God on this behalf.” (1 Peter 4:12-16) The right
reason to suffer is for Christ, not because you procrastinated and did not do
what you were told, or you were a busybody in other men's matters. Only
suffer for Christ. Any other reason to suffer is foolishness.
Sing: Amazing grace shall always be my
song of praise, for it was grace that brought my liberty. I do not know,
just why He came to love me so, He looked beyond my faults and saw my need.
I shall forever, lift my eyes to Calvary, to view
the cross where Jesus died for me. How marvelous, the grace that
caught my falling soul, He looked beyond my fault and saw my need.
Thought For Today: Only suffer
for Christ. Any other reason is foolishness (Parker)
No comments:
Post a Comment