Don't Be Surprised

Our expectation of convenience, pleasure, and ease is over-developed in the Western world. We expect life to feel good and are surprised by persecution, trials, and suffering.

Unlike our own, most cultures expect suffering as inevitable and see it as a means of strengthening and enriching us. On the other hand, our secular culture is perhaps the worst in history at helping its members face suffering. We are more "shocked and undone" by suffering than generations before us.

But Peter writes to the church, 'Don't be shocked!' and even goes so far as to say 'rejoice.' In our attempt to deal with the shock of suffering, we invent all sorts of strange doctrines about why it is happening and how we are to deal with it.

1 Peter 4:1 shows us that we are called to have the same attitude as Christ; we understand our suffering as he "suffered in his body" also. Christ suffered greatly when he wrestled with obedience to his Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. He went through so much anguish that he sweated drops of blood as he submitted to the Father's will.

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42

Obedience to God, though it doesn’t always feel good at the time, produces a harvest of righteousness and peace. The road we are called to walk in our pursuit of Jesus is a narrow one, and not everyone finds it (Matthew 7:13-14). It does require some moments of suffering and pain. But it also results in great joy.

Jesus speaks to the disciples about suffering to prepare them for what is to come. We could even go so far as to say there is an invitation to Christ-like suffering in the epistles. Peter states, "but rejoice as you share in Christ's sufferings." James says, "consider it pure joy," and Paul says, "we rejoice in our suffering" (Romans 5:3 & Col 1:24). As counter-intuitive as it is, the disciples rejoiced that they had suffered shame for the gospel (Acts 5:41).

As we walk along the road of the Christian life, certain things can throw us off the path. Things that challenge our faith in God. Suffering is undoubtedly one of them. But as much as we are told to expect trials, we are encouraged that many before us suffered and kept the faith (Hebrews 11). They, too, would have asked all our questions about God's goodness in the face of suffering. The Bible tells us our expectations should be realistic about suffering but that we can also expect God's comfort, strength, and help. And more than that, we can expect the glory of God to be formed in us as we are molded into the character and likeness of Christ through suffering and exceedingly joyful at his coming.

Where do our expectations of life come from? We must move from a culturally-influenced expectation of life to a biblically-influenced expectation. We need to expect both blessing and suffering in each hand and know that God walks us through both.

Prayer Point: Lord, I thank you that you are my great reward. I pray that I would not be shocked when trials and persecution come but rejoice in both blessing and suffering. I pray that I would be strong in love, grace, and forgiveness as I journey through the road of suffering. I would walk through the season in your comfort, love, wisdom, and strength.