Everyday we must remember believers are like temporary residents in this world; we actually belong to Father God as citizens of the Kingdom of heaven and we are learning to live as sons and daughters in Christ (1 Pet 2:11). Once Jesus came to live in our hearts, we shifted our greatest allegiance to our eternal King, his Kingdom, and his care; a Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the power of the Spirit (Ro 14:17). The way we live becomes very different as our Father writes our lives anew in the Truth. Honestly, we find ourselves denying self as we travel against cultural norms.
Yesterday, Jen laid before us Paul’s charge to Timothy encouraging him to live as a servant of Jesus Christ—the Truth. To live as an example of the Truth is about following the narrow and difficult path of our Savior; we pick up our cross and allow him to lead us into Kingdom living. As Christ’s servants, we are to live in his integrity by holding fast to God’s principles; in this way we advance God’s will for humanity. While the world’s human leaders fight for power and authority and culture demands allegiance, Christ teaches loyalty to God and respect for others as we entrust ourselves to God’s hands.
In the midst of everything that is happening across the globe, servants must carefully choose their master. Surely, we are becoming aware we cannot serve both God and man, because man has chosen a whole other set of self-enthroned principles. To take a stand in Christ is to act differently than the world when presented with choices each day; those choices can bring pressure to conform which results in suffering.
Today in our passage from Peter, we are reminded Jesus is our example when we experience suffering. Suffering was a part of Christ’s life; unjust suffering occupied much of his ministry. Jesus could be terribly misunderstood by others in every area of his life: family, friends, disciples, religious leaders, government officials, culture, etc. Yet, he chose to serve the Father perfectly [in integrity] every time, because he trusted God. And, friends, Jesus has promised any distress we face actually leads to the pathway of joy; the joy of our salvation because Jesus shows up with his strength in exchange for our weakness (2 Cor 12:10).
So, retaliating against others who unjustly mistreat us is not an option. Instead, we are to trust God’s wisdom that he will make everything work for our good (Ro 8:28). We are to endure patiently while we wait for the good to arrive. So, if you have been suffering loss or mistreatment, take time to pray and keep entrusting yourself to Jesus. As believers seeking to live in the integrity of Christ, we may find ourselves weeping. We may struggle. We may experience pressure and stress. But, God is good and his goodness will prevail.
1 Peter 2:19-25 VOICE 19 For grace is clearly at work when a person accepts undeserved pain and suffering and does so because he is mindful of God. 20 For what credit is there in enduring punishment you deserve? But if you do what is right and yet are punished and endure it patiently, God will be pleased with you. 21-22 For you were called to this kind of life, as Isaiah said,
He did no wrong deed,
and no evil word came from His mouth.
The Anointed One suffered for us and left us His example so that we could follow in His steps. 23 When He was verbally abused, He didn’t return the abuse; when He suffered, He didn’t make threats to cause suffering in return; instead, He trusted that all would be put right by the One who is just when He judges. 24 He took on our sins in His body when He died on the cross so that we, being dead to sin, can live for righteousness. As the Scripture says, “Through His wounds, you were healed.” 25 For there was a time when you were like sheep that wandered from the fold, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your lives.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us live in your righteousness as we live in a fallen world. We cannot be a proper example of your integrity in our strength, Lord, so we entrust ourselves to you and call for the promise of grace in our weakness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.