12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised about the fiery trials that have come among you to test you. These are not strange happenings. 13 Instead, rejoice as you share Christ’s suffering. You share his suffering now so that you may also have overwhelming joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are mocked because of Christ’s name, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory—indeed, the Spirit of God—rests on you. (1 Peter 4:12-14)
The New Testament book of 1 Peter has always been one of my favorites. It is a place I often turn to when I need a Holy Spirit pep talk. In so many ways, the whole book is a pep talk by Peter to the fledging New Testament church. Peter acknowledges the difficulty the church faces but reminds them of their place in the bigger story of God’s redemption of God’s people, and ultimately the redemption of the world.
When I reflect on my own “trials” and “suffering” indeed they pale in comparison to our Christian brothers and sisters facing persecution for their faith around the globe. Yet, I think Peter’s teaching can be applied even to the types of trials and suffering we face in our suburban American lives.
The past month has been a blur for my family. Many of you know, my father Gene experienced a fall just before Easter than resulted in a traumatic brain injury. My father is one of the most important people in my life. It was tempting in those first few days to ask, “why is this happening?” The prognosis wasn’t clear, and the fears of being on a path toward serious permanent disability were very real.
Thanks be to God! After a little less than a month, my dad came home this week. My dad’s doctor told him the day he was discharged, “I’ve seen you make more progress in three weeks than some of my patients do in three months.” My dad still has ongoing outpatient therapy to fully restore his speech. However, we are praising God for the rapid recovery he is making.
I recognize that many times the story ends differently than my father’s. The prognosis is terminal, the loved one is taken to be with the Lord, the healing process seems to take forever, or the relationship is broken. Many of you as you read this are facing trials and suffering that are prolonged, or there is no clear end in sight. Your prayers for healing and restoration seem to go unanswered.
My ongoing prayer is that when I face the trials and suffering that this life is certain to bring… no matter the outcome, positive or negative, that I won’t be overcome with grumbling and complaining. That I won’t be frozen in fear, or overtaken by my desire understand “why?” But, instead my hope is I too will demonstrate to the world an “overwhelming joy when [Jesus’] glory is revealed.”
Surely, it is easier to have this perspective when things seem to work out the way we want.
At the core of Peter’s pep talk is his calling us to have hope. This hope Peter reveals isn’t some sort of Pollyanna, pie in the sky, baseless hope. It a hope based in the love of Jesus Christ, our resurrected Lord. Peter encourages us in Chapter 1, “You now rejoice in this hope, even if it’s necessary for you to be distressed for a short time by various trials. This is necessary so that your faith may be found genuine (vs 6-7). Will you pray this prayer with me?
Lord Jesus, grow your hope in us. Hope that remains despite the trials and suffering we may face. Hope that endures, even when the outcome isn’t what we want. Give us the long view. We give you praise for the many glimpses and various ways your glory is revealed in our lives. Grow in us a joy that is grounded in your resurrection, and our own hope of resurrection. Amen.
-Pastor Shawn
