September 22
1 Peter 3:17-18 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Why is it better to suffer?
If we were to choose... suffering won't even exist in our vocabulary... no one wants pain... yet we are in a fallen world where evil exist and has somehow rule over the lives of many. Sin has contributed so much to the pain and curses that have existed. And so pain is inevitable while we are still in this Earth but God promised in Revelation that in heaven there will be no pain, sickness and that God will wipe away our tears... well that's heaven everyone... now we are still in the world.
Suffering has made many to turn their backs on God... many have not understood it and so they ran away or given up and so Peter reminded the Christians in how they should view suffering in order to endure it. We were design to endure in Christ Jesus our Saviour. And this suffering is something we get not of doing evil but in doing good... which makes it even harder to take. And so Peter gave us wisdom in this passage...
We are to choose the better things in this life... and so even if it may be suffering, choose it... suffering test us in some point and it strengthen us in this life. And it will be a picture of us partaking in Christ suffering and as Paul said so that we may partake in His resurrection as well. Next is that accept God's will for you... this is build on trust. In order to accept what God will and has allowed in our lives... we are to trust Him deeply. Because your point in living will be living out His will in your life and whatever it is, good or bad you will embrace it because God has allowed it and you embrace His plan because you know Him... He is good and faithful and loving, sovereign and so your trust Him.
In order to accept life, the good and bad circumstances, the undeserving sufferings you experience... you need to trust God... and this is grounded on our knowledge of Him... this will change our way of thinking and perception of life.
Why choose suffering?
If it is God's will then yes... I would choose to suffer... just to make them see my trust grounded in Him. I don't care what it is... I am more concern of doing God's will in my life.
Trust is much clearer in times of testing.
To God be the glory!
