Why Difficulties Give Us Joy and Hope



How awful it would be to inhabit this world,

have some idea that there is a God,

and yet not know what He desires from us.

Divine statutes are a gift to us.

God gives us law because He loves.

-Kevin DeYoung



     While reading through both books of Peter recently, several passages stood out and I wanted to jot down my thoughts about them here. {Can I just say that I love the writings of Peter? He makes no pretense about anything. He states truth in a very matter-of-fact way. He gives precise meaning to the difficult-to-understand-paths along our road in life. And most importantly, he points us to the one true source of our joy and hope and peace: Jesus Christ.}

     Starting in verse 11 of chapter 2, we see Peter setting down a standard of living for those who profess Christ:
"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation as honest among the gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation."  (vs. 11 & 12)

 How we live life speaks to others - all around us. I remember a friend quoting this poem once:

I am my neighbor's Bible
He reads me when we meet.
Today he read me in my home,
Tomorrow in the street.

He may be relative or friend,
Or slight acquaintance he may be,
He may not even know my name,
But yet he is reading me.

Dear Christian friends and brothers,
If we could only know
How faithfully the world records
Just what we say and do.

Oh, we would make our record plain,
And labor hard to see
Our worldly neighbors won to Christ,
While reading you and me.

And while it may seem {to us} that the way we honor God in our daily living only brings derision and scorn from others, {Peter describes it as them "speaking against (us) as evildoers"} we are assured that after Christ visits them with salvation, they will glorify God because of their remembrance of our testimony. They are not going to understand now...... but someday they will and then God will receive glory, which is where glory is due!

Peter continues...... exhorting respect and honor for those in authority:
"Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the King, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well-doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." (vs. 13-15)

Concluding with this:
"As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness (or vice, or evil), but as the servants of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the King." (vs. 16-17)

Part of our testimony before men is how we respect and honor those in authority and how the liberty He has bestowed upon us is stewarded. He has granted us freedom in a world full of bondage..... liberty in a culture of oppression. Would we willingly sin and use our liberty in Christ as an excuse to do as we please? If we do, we destroy our testimony. And are we given that liberty for ourselves? Certainly not - we are given liberty for use as a servant: "...not using your liberty for {evil}, but {using your liberty} as the servants of God."

     Peter then moves to a related topic; instructing slaves to submit themselves to their masters - both good and evil. He states that if we suffer for our mistakes & faults and bear it patiently..... why should we be commended for that?  But when you're shamed or ridiculed for doing what God asks of you..... should you bear that patiently?  Yes, most emphatically!! When those times come.... when because of a relationship with Him, you suffer wrongfully.... in those times, Peter says, you have been counted worthy of the same suffering as our Lord. Because He was guilty of nothing, and yet was reviled and rejected among men.

"For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.... for even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow in His steps:" (vs. 19 & 21)

     I am sure we've all experienced this on different levels. Being ridiculed, laughed at, or even just getting those "what-in-the-world-do-you-do-that-for?" look. And yet none of it compares to what our Savior experienced for you and I. The degradation and humiliation He endured ...... all because of His great love for us. And yet, we have been counted worthy to suffer as He did.

so when life gets difficult....
when we feel betrayed....
when it seems the world in which we live is turned upside-down....
when we wonder if God hears our prayers....
when we begin to lose hope because of circumstances....
{and these times inevitably come into every life}

REJOICE! Take hope by the hand and with joy in your heart thank Him....... because this is what will happen if you're following Him. If Christ suffered - and He was the perfect, sinless, spotless Son of God - why should we expect anything less? It's exciting really, to think about. Instead of letting life's difficulties "get us down" embrace them and thank the Lord for them. This is what He had called us to experience.