1 Peter 4 Walks with Us through Seasons of Suffering
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Have you ever met someone going through a hard time who suffered really well? Maybe someone going through an illness comes to mind, or that child being bullied at school resiliently standing up for Christ. Or perhaps it’s just that faithful store cashier always with a positive attitude, even though the hundredth person has been complaining to her that the self check-out is acting up yet again.
1 Peter 4 is a beautiful chapter in Scripture that focuses on suffering like Jesus, stewardship, genuine love, and glorifying God in our daily choices. Today, we are going to dive into the Word to see what we can learn about suffering from 1 Peter 4.
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We Are Suffering, So What Are We Doing with It?
The truth is that we are all going to suffer in this world. Whether we know it or not, we are all currently suffering from sin. We cannot avoid this, however the model of Jesus suffering well is seen throughout the Bible, and it is especially emphasized in chapter 4 of 1 Peter.
There is a difference between wrestling with a hard time and despairing in it. Jesus has given believers security in His gift of eternal hope when He placed His Spirit in us.
1 Peter 4:1-2 begins the chapter by saying, “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.”
We are invited to arm ourselves with the same way of thinking as Jesus. This reminds us of Ephesians 6:11 which says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” The way in which we “arm” ourselves is not in our own strength, but by the power of His Holy Spirit inside of us and with His Scripture (which is sword of the Spirit).
When you think about a current area of suffering in your own life, what comes to your mind? Whether you feel that it is seemingly insignificant or the most difficult challenge you have faced yet, you are invited to put on the mind of Christ and arm yourself with His whole armor.
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Love Well
1 Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
In the midst of discussing suffering, there is a call to love well. We expect suffering as a result of sin in our broken world, but a lot of times it is the unexpected pain and suffering that is a result of the sin from other people – especially within the body of Christ – that causes us to question God in the midst of our pain. Whether someone chose to gossip about our personal prayer request, or that brother betrayed our trust, the truth is that it is so hard to love deeply.
Love is not ignoring sin, it is by no means welcoming abuse, but as believers it is recognizing that there is more going on than meets the eye. There is a genuine spiritual battle. Our souls have been won by Jesus, but daily we are living in the flesh and need His help to live by the Spirit. We can only be truly hospitable without a negative attitude if the Spirit of God in us gives us the strength. We can only use a spiritual gift to bless another if the Spirit empowers us to do so. The sooner we realize that God is love and the only way to truly love others is by His power, the better off our daily lives will be.
1 John 4:16 says, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” When are we going to get it through our minds and into our hearts to truly believe that there is nothing good within us, only what He gives us is good (Isaiah 64:6).
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Suffering with a Purpose
Peter closes chapter 4 telling us not to be surprised by the trials that come our way. We do not need to think what is happening to us is strange because God has literally told us throughout His Word that we will have trials.
This truth is clear, but why is it so often the furthest response from me when difficulty arises? My car gets a flat, the kids get into an argument, the boss is unfair, that sickness comes. Hardships sneak up and we can be caught off guard, or we can rejoice. Honestly, just writing the word rejoice makes me nauseated. In pure authenticity, my last natural and fleshly response is to celebrate in the midst of hardships.
Does rejoice mean we are happy about the pain? No, but we are happy that our pain is not wasted, that God is with us, and that we have eternal joy and hope awaiting us. We have victory because of Jesus.
When we are opposed because of our stance of faith in Jesus, we suffer not out of punishment, but out of obedience to Him. We suffer with honor. Like soldiers for a nation, we stand for the kingdom of heaven. We go through challenges for Christ, not as those who deserve the punishment, but as unashamed witnesses of His gospel. It is by grace we have been saved through faith. This is a gift of God so that we cannot boast (Ephesians 2:8).
Don’t Give Up
If you are questioning, “What is the meaning of this suffering?,” if you are trying to find hope today in trials, stop and read 1 Peter 4 to encourage you in your faith. You are not alone. When you are making decisions to follow Jesus with your life, there is always going to be push back and challenges, however, there are so many more spiritual blessings and a beautiful witness through the ways in which we suffer. They are not wasted.
1 Peter 4:19 concludes, “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” The Lord is with you. Keep going.
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