In Times of Strife

​1 Peter 4:19 ~ “Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”
 
It is a difficult for some to comprehend this, but the suffering that a child of God experiences is bound up in the will of God. At the conversion of Saul, the man who would become the Apostle Paul, the LORD spoke to Ananias in Acts 9:16, “For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” Ananias was sent to Saul by the LORD Jesus and was told that Saul of Tarsus was a chosen instrument to carry the gospel. Yet, connected to that work of service, there was a definite promise of suffering that would accompany the task. We suffer “according to God’s will” for the purpose of bringing glory to His name as a witness of the salvation wrought within our hearts. 1 Peter 4:12 tells us this is not something strange that is coming upon the Christian. We are directed, then, to rejoice, “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13).
 
But why does God allow suffering? Why is it in His will for His children? An old adage states that the warrior is not proved on the practice field but the battle field. It is only in times of strife that any believer has the full opportunity to put on display the enduring salvation of Christ. Peter expounds on this in the beginning of his letter. Consider 1 Peter 1:6-7, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Your faith is being tested and proved genuine for it withstands the stresses of suffering and endures the variety of trials.
 
So, my dear friends, what is a Christian to do when facing trials of various kinds? How should a believer live in times of strife? Our text today gives us the response we need to make when walking through the fiery trials: “entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” There are two qualities from this response that we will look at today.
 
First, we are to “entrust” our souls to a Faithful Creator. This is to place, as on deposit, our entire life in the care of the LORD and be committed to follow Him through all circumstances. Why, in times of suffering, are we commanded to entrust our souls with the LORD? Because, when difficulty happens in our lives, there are those who will decide for themselves that God does not act in such a manner. Peter reiterates the idea that it is God’s will that His children go through times of hardship, “For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:17). The classic example of trusting God through suffering and recognizing it as God’s will, is Joseph. Genesis 50:20 says, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Hated by his brothers and sold into slavery, Joseph endured years of suffering. And, yet, that was all part of God’s purpose to bring about the deliverance of two nations, Israel and Egypt. Our LORD Jesus went to the cross for the will of the Father. Every Christian who desires to walk in faithfulness to the LORD must trust the LORD even—or, especially—during times of strife.
 
The second is simple: “while doing good.” Do not use strife as an excuse for a lack of doing good. We must continue to do good even when the going gets rough and the way is hard. Galatians 6:9 tells us, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” You might say, “what if they hate me?” Then, you trust the LORD and do good. “What if our faith is outlawed?” Then you trust and do good. What a wonderful testimony it is when God’s people do good even to those who hate them. It is a testimony of the power of our gracious God who can work in a person even when they are facing strife. The greatest example is of our LORD Jesus who, on the cross, looked down to His mother and still took care of her earthly needs. John 19:26-27 illuminates this, “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”
 
God has not lost hold of you, even when you are going through times of strife. You can entrust your soul to the care of our all-wise Savior and God. And, dear Christian, you can do good wherever you are. Your circumstances do not dictate the heart with which you work to help those around you. You may not be able to do everything you want, but you can still do good.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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