1 Peter: Confidence in a Complex WorldSample

3: A Bridge That Won't Buckle

There is great joy when you build something and it goes on to survive a stress test. Once in a Design & Technology class, we had to build a bridge using just a few flimsy materials. At the end of the class, the teacher produced a small metal truck, to see if our constructions could bear its load. The faces of the pupils whose bridges survived lit up as the teacher praised their work. For me, there was no joy as I watched mine buckle under the weight of the miniature juggernaut.

The Christians Peter wrote to were experiencing the blessing and privilege of being part of God’s people. Through faith in the gospel, their lives were being written into God’s amazing story. But not everyone around them was happy about this change in their lives. Christians were seen as a threat to social cohesion. Neighbours sneered, customers boycotted Christians’ businesses, masters singled out Christian slaves for beatings, husbands pressurised wives to give up their newfound faith. These believers had become ‘exiles’ (1:1).

Peter recognised the pain they felt as they suffered ‘grief in all kinds of trials’ (1:6). He didn’t minimise it. He didn’t say the pain’s not that bad. What he did say is that through the gospel, the exiled people of God are able to rejoice in the midst of painful ostracism. How so?

Though suffering by its very nature is hard to deal with, with God it is never insignificant. Suffering is a truck on the bridge of faith. Their continued trust in the gospel through suffering was a sign that their faith was the genuine article. They had living hope; a relationship with Father, Son, and Spirit; they were part of God’s people. They had been set free from sin and set free for life!

Some of us may find ourselves on frontlines where people are very accepting of our Christian faith – supportive, even. For others, maybe there is scepticism, or even active opposition. Perhaps you face a tough time over an ethical stance you take. Whatever your situation, it’s okay to acknowledge how you feel. Even when we are experiencing pain, alongside that pain, we can be ‘filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy’ (1:8). For as long as we trust Jesus, even though we don’t see him, we know we have something more valuable than even the most precious metals, and stronger than the bridge I built at school. 

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Reflect:

Have you been through times where your faith has been stress-tested? What does the fact you came through those times say about the genuineness of your faith, and the faithfulness of God?

Do the people you come into contact with regularly know you’re a Christian? If so, what kind of responses have you encountered? 

Pray:

Thank God that, through the gospel, you have the most precious thing in the world. Pray that whatever challenges life may hold, the Lord will help you to know joy and strength.