Read 1 Peter 4:12–16
Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that
you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
1 Peter 4:13
It is an honor and a privilege to suffer with Christ and be treated by the
world the way it treated Him. “The fellowship of sharing in his sufferings” is a gift from God (see Phil. 1:29; 3:10). Not all believers grow to
the point where God can trust them with this kind of experience, so we
ought to rejoice when the privilege comes to us (Acts 5:41).
When the three Hebrew children were cast into the fiery furnace,
they discovered they were not alone (Dan. 3:23–25). The Lord was
with Paul in all of his trials, and He promises to be with us “to the very
end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
“Suffering” and “glory” are twin truths that are woven into the
fabric of Peter’s letter. The world believes that the absence of suffering
means glory, but as Christians our outlook is different. The trial of
our faith today is the assurance of glory when Jesus returns (1 Peter
1:7–8). This was the experience of our Lord (5:1), and it will also be
our experience.
Something to Ponder
Does suffering ever feel like a privilege to you? If not, how can you try
to keep a positive mind-set as you suffer?