The Christian worldview on suffering (1 Peter 4:12)

The Christian worldview on suffering (1 Peter 4: 12)

It is no mystery that suffering exists. Switch on the TV, listen to the radio, read the newspaper, and you will find this to be true. We are far from that peaceful and beautiful serene place called Hobbit in JRR Tolkien's novel, “The Hobbit”. No! Our world is plagued with poverty, death, crime, and disease. Many people are suffering and hurting at this moment in time. 

And as Christians, we are not exempt from hurt and suffering. In fact, not only will we suffer the same things as everyone else, but we may suffer things that are unique to us. Suffering such as persecution, being ridiculed and insulted - all because we bear the name of Jesus Christ: CHRISTIANS.

How should we perceive the reality of this unique suffering? As Christians what should be our worldview on suffering? I believe this passage, 1 Peter 4: 12 - 19, gives us five truths to help us answer this question. However, in this devotion, I will only mention one of the five truths:

Do not be shocked when you suffer as a Christian (v12)

“12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you."

Christians will suffer because they bear the name of Jesus Christ. The church that Peter is writing to is suffering persecution. It is not a violent kind of abuse but a verbal one. He mentions this in chapter 3: 16, “for there are people who speak maliciously against your good behaviour.’ Chapter 4: 4 says, “They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.”

However, you might not be feeling like you are suffering persecution or being verbally and violently abused for being a Christian, like the Christians that Paul is writing to. Therefore, you are might ask yourself, “How does this apply to me?”

This teaching that Peter is giving us can be applied to various trials. So you can apply it when you suffer ill-health, poverty and death. So listen up. Do not switch off or you will miss out.

However, some of you may say, ‘Well, I'm not suffering at this moment in time. Therefore, how does this apply to me?”.

To you I say, praise God that you are not suffering. However, what Peter has to say will equip you for future suffering. For you will suffer. And if you are not right now, do not worry it is coming. So listen up. Do not switch off or you will miss out.

As I said earlier, Christians will suffer because they bear the name of Jesus Christ. Many Christians have a problem with this statement. This is because they believe that following Jesus and bearing his name means a good, prosperous and successful life now. For them, bearing his name means the absence of suffering.

I am not sure what Bible they are reading or which Jesus they are following. For Jesus said, ‘You will suffer because of my name. 

John 15: 18 onwards, 

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.”

Matthew 24: 9,

 “ Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me”.

Come back with me to 1 Peter 4: 14, “If you are insulted for the name of Christ.” Also verse 16 says, “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian.” You will suffer at the hands of non-Christians because you bear the name of Jesus - CHRISTIAN. So do not be surprised by this. Do not be shocked when you are insulted, mocked, ridiculed, teased for being a Christian. Do not say, I did not sign up for this. Yes, you did, when you said yes to Jesus and took on his name - CHRISTIAN. 

However, not only will you suffer at the hands of non-Christians because you bear the name of Jesus, you will suffer at the hands of God so that he may test your faith. Chapter 3: 17, “It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good.” Chapter 4: 19, “So then, those who suffer according to God's will.”

You see, it is God's will that you should suffer. Why? To what end? For what reason?

Chapter 4: 12 says, “to test you.” Test you for what? Peter says in Chapter 1: 7, “These have come (that is fiery and various trials) so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” So, it is God’s will that you should suffer so that genuine faith will be revealed. 

When I was in high school, there was a stack of fake R5 coins that came into circulation and into the hands of many South Africans including my friends and family.  I remember going to a tuck shop. For those of you who do not know what a tuck shop is, let me briefly explain it to you. A tuck shop is a small shop at someone’s house that sells very basic goods. I went to buy chips. I paid with a R5 coin. But before the teller could accept it. She needed to do two tests.

The first test was the comparison test where she would hold a genuine R5 coin in one hand and my coin in the other. She would compare the texture between the two coins by feel and touch. If my coin did not feel like hers then it was fake. The second test was the magnet test where my coin was placed on a magnet, and if it did not stick then it was a fake. Thankfully, my coin held up to the tests and I got my packet of chips. You see, in order to reveal, to check, to see if the coin was real, it needed to be tested.

Likewise, in order to see genuine faith, it needs to be tested. The way God chooses to do this is through suffering. Go back and look at the story of Joseph in Genesis, Job in Job and you will find that God tested these men with suffering in order to show their unwavering faith in him. Therefore, do not be shocked when you are diagnosed with some chronic or terminal illness, like cancer, diabetes, or heart disease, do not say, “How can this be Lord, I worshipped you faithfully, I paid my tithes, I served in the church, I did good works, how can this be Lord?’.  When you are not allowed to be on campus for whatever reason, do not say, Lord, I thought this will be my year of success. This is all meaningless. No, it is not. Suffering at the hands of God is meant to show us what kind of faith we have. So do not be shocked when you suffer as a Christian. This is how Christians approach suffering.

May God richly bless you and sustain your faith, now and forevermore. 

Amen.

God Bless,

Steven.