WORDSHARE: When suffering is the will of God for you...

Eh! To this some people will say Tufiakwa! O burukwa ogwu, ole! Hahahahaha! But it's there in the Word of God. Let me show you: 1 Pet 4:12-19. Verse 19 says, "Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good..."

 

You know, we Christians have been made to believe that our journey in Christ is gonna be a smooth, easy-breezy, stress free one without hassles, challenges, problems or sufferings. But that's not true. Paul didn't have it easy. The guy suffered terribly(see 2 Cor 11:23-28). Peter, John, Jesus...I could go on and on. Jesus suffered so bad that people thought He was stricken by God (Isaiah 53:4). In other words, they thought He was suffering because of a terrible thing He did against God.

 

Suffering is very much a part Christian life. What do you call trials? That's suffering. Anything that brings you pain. 

Now I am not saying every kind of suffering is acceptable because once in a while we will experience that. Let me show you the kind of suffering the Bible talks about for us Christians: suffering for God's glory. 

v12 "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though something strange happened to you..." 

From what Peter said up there, that's what's obtainable in our journey. It's not strange. Have you ever been in a situation where things are so bad, you begin to think probably the devil is after you, manipulating your life? Lol. I have been there. Oh yeah! But guess what cured me? The Word of God. It showed me that as long as I am in Christ, the devil cannot touch me. Hahaha!

Some Christians jump from pillar to post to find a solution once problems arise because they assume their 'village people' are after them. You see, when you suffer attimes, it's possible to begin to think up possibilities - "What if, what if..." They move from one church to another. Soon they start visiting spiritists and babalawos. 

 

(Please keep in mind that jumping from one church to another is faithlessness. Everything you need for your deliverance is in God's Word. I'm not saying it's wrong to get a pastor to pray for you but please don't put your faith in the pastor, put it on God.)

But Peter has a message for such people in v13. He said, "...but rejoice!"  Does that even make sense?! Lol. Truth is, it is actually an honor to partake in Christ's suffering by suffering for His sake, not suffering for some wrong you did. 

So what does it mean to suffer for God's glory? See v14

"If you are reproached (insulted, castigated) for the name of Christ, blessed are you..." When you suffer for doing good; for doing something the way God wants it to be done, you are suffering for God's glory. 

But this is the kind of suffering that is NOT God's will (see v15)

 

"But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evil doer, or as a busy body in other people's matters." When you suffer for wrongdoing, that is not suffering according to the will of God. You brought it upon yourself. As a matter of fact you are reaping what you sowed. Sometimes we are the architects of our problems. Some troubles we go through today spring up as a result of seeds sown in the past. 

v16 says we shouldn't be ashamed suffering as a Christian but let him glorify God in this matter. "

See every trial or suffering you go through as an opportunity to glorify God. God will show up for you if you "commit your soul to Him in doing good..."(v19)

Don't give up on doing good because the last time you did you were persecuted for it. Doing good is our nature in Christ.