How Are You Suffering? Is It In These 4 Ways?

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:1‬

Every time I read the epistles according to St.Peter, it’s simply mind blowing and guess what!! There are so many insights that you can absorb from his letters to the believers. Who did ever think that this Peter, once a fisherman would write like this!! That’s the power of the Holy Spirit - transform and renew a person completely.

Now here, Apostle Peter is encouraging the church to arm themselves with the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is a mind that is willing to suffer. While on earth Jesus said that sufferings awaited Him, which was also why He came down. Jesus went through sufferings in His spirit, soul and body. St.Paul had the revelation about the sufferings of Christ and he encourages us to be partakers of the same.

There are 2 kinds of suffering:

• Suffering for a good cause
• Suffering because of iniquity/sin

Cain says, My punishment is more than I can bear. Genesis 4:12,13. He had to go through this suffering because of the anger he showed against his brother Abel, whom he killed. The Scripture says, A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment. Proverbs 19:19. But God does not want us to suffer in this way.

But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. 1 Peter‬ ‭4:15‬

Murderer - Who is he? Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer. 1 John 3:15. Anyone can call himself a Christian, but if there’s hatred in the heart he is a murderer. Root cause of hatred - bitterness. So let’s learn to love each other.

Thief - Who is he? Someone who has robbed God. Malachi 3:8,9. By not being faithful to God in tithes and offerings, we have robbed God. Tithes and offering are not limited to giving giving 1/10th of our earnings/money. He has given us 24 hours in a day; the 1/10th of which is 2 hours 24 minutes. We need to be faithful in giving tithe in this as well if not in God’s sight we are a thief.

Evildoer - Who is he? Someone who does his own will and not God’s will. When self governs over us, we give in to doing our own will. Jesus did the will of the Father and so we must also do God’s will.

Busy body in other men’s matters - Who is he? Someone who puts forth the finger and speaks vanity. Isaiah 58:9. This was the spirit of the Pharisee who was accusing the Publican while praying. It refers to always finding fault with others because of which there is no rest in the heart - always found in a troubled state.

Every child of God who has been saved, obeyed God in water baptism and received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, is a disciple of Christ and he/she has to go through suffering. Christian life isn’t an easy going life, but in the midst of suffering there is rest for us - something that was taught by the Master Himself. God wants us to suffer for Him in which there is reward. May God help us.

Be blessed 💕