Suffering - A Christian's Calling
A Christian will suffer. Problems will arise,
accusations will surface and suffering will be the final product. Yet,
the Bible gives us instruction regarding our suffering—if we would
follow it we might see problems resolved in a more efficient manner.
In this nation, it seems as though the voice of the dedicated Christian
is heard less and less. Laws have been passed and are being passed that
are opposed to the backbone of true Christianity—the Scriptures. Even
so, what shall we do? Should we revolt? Should we declare a holy war on
our nation as many fundamentalist Muslims have done throughout the
world? Not according to 1 Peter 2.
1 Peter 2:13-17 states, “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king”.
Retaliation is not the key to teaching people the
Christian lifestyle. Fighting back does not usually stop the war—it
gives others a reason to war against you. Submission, honor, loyalty and
good works are the key to silencing criticism.
A Christian may also have difficulty within the workplace. Some
employers will curse, harass and purposefully put more work on
Christians. Hopefully, these cases are rare, but they do exist and
handling them is important. If you refuse to work, or sass your employer
or talk bad about him to everyone else will this solve the problem? No,
instead faithful work and submission will make you look better and your
employer look worse. Doing something back to him only worsens the
situation and gives justification for his bad attitude towards you.
Again, notice the advice of Peter.
“Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously…”
Do you have the faith in God that Christ had? Do you
have faith that this will lead others to be godly? Do you have faith
that God will sort all of this out at His judgment?
The Scriptures also advise married couples. Often, problems arise
because of jealousy, selfishness and outright rudeness. How should a
woman reply to a non-Christian husband, or for that matter, a Christian
husband that does not act like it? How should a man deal with a
contentious, rebellious and rude wife that thinks submission is an
element of the past? The key to getting along is not divorce. It will
take humility and submission, just like it does in other areas of life.
“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your outward adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands…Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:1-7).
Finally, how shall we deal with brothers and sisters that are disagreeable, hard-spoken and over-bearing in their attitudes? Shall we be rude right back to them? Shall we get on our phones and talk to all of our friends about their bad attitude? Should we just decide not to attend church because we are tired of “suffering?” No, suffering is a part of what we were called to do—it is a test of our loyalty, a test of our faith. Again, notice the Scriptural encouragement.
“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:8,9).
Do not let the devil use your discouragement and suffering as an opportunity. Read also Rom. 12:10-21. The key principle is this, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).