Pain and suffering are two words that humanity often uses to describe their emotions towards their lives. These two words can be defined differently by anyone who chooses to put these words into their vocabulary. Those who are Christians question why these two words are in their vocabulary, if they believe in the almighty God then shouldn’t they be saved from pain and suffering? This is where we fall short. During quiet time the past few days I find myself reading in 1 Peter. Peter wrote this letter for Christians everywhere in roughly A.D. 64. We see him begin with addressing, what is the Christian’s hope? Simply put, it is our hope to someday be with Jesus in heaven.
For a very long time I thought the ticket to get into heaven was to be a holy Christian. Of course this was not easy to label myself as. Over the course of my many years I have encountered suffering and pain. The hardest being losing loved ones. Along with this I have often hid my faith in the hopes to avoid more pain. As you can see I felt as if the path to heaven was in the opposite direction I was walking, but light was shed on the path in front of me. A reminder that God watches over you no matter what the road may look like.
1 Peter 4:12-13 says this, Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
He speaks here that we should embrace the pain we feel, this pain is only temporary and it is through this pain we are reminded of his glory and suffering he took for us by sending his only son to die for our sins.
To address the shame we may feel for spreading our faith among newborn eyes he says this in 1 Peter 4:16, However, if you suffer as a Christian do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
The Glory of God that we receive because we are Christians outweighs any shame.
If you find yourself lost, and full of pain because of the sufferings that are in your life, make your way to 1 Peter and remind yourself why these sufferings are occurring.
Trip Update: Warm weather, rainy days, and a thousand bug bites are just a few words to describe this wonderful place I spending my time in. The days are spent helping out Zoe International church with ministry in the community. On non work days we spend our time team bonding, exploring San Jose, and worshiping with the community. God’s love is so present here in the amazing country. If you are looking for more description in what I am doing here please feel free to Facebook message me! Until then God Bless from San Pedro!
