Live Openly and Honestly

God Blesses and Recreates

A Troubled Birth

1 Peter 2:18-25 The Message (MSG)

The Kind of Life He Lived

18-20 You who are servants, be good servants to your masters—not just to good masters, but also to bad ones. What counts is that you put up with it for God’s sake when you’re treated badly for no good reason. There’s no particular virtue in accepting the punishment that you well deserve. But if you’re treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God.
21-25 This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.
He never did one thing wrong,
Not once said anything amiss.
They called him every name in the book, and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right. He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you’re named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.

For Reflection

Accepting Christ into your life does not end suffering. We are, after all, human. We suffer as Christ suffered, physically and emotionally.

It is through mild or even paralyzing suffering that we are perfected, freed from the threat from that which we suffer. We learn patience. We learn to embrace the pain. We learn to trust unreasonably in the promise that God will make all things right. It is when we suffer that we invite the Holy Spirit to comfort us and ignite the goodness in our souls.

Many have suffered recent natural disasters. But the storms and flooding did not destroy the human spirit. Look at those helpers who have suffered as much or more than those they helped. They have responded not with victimized whimpering but with responses of service. We can emerge from those things we suffer stronger, more able to see beyond the current trouble into the opportunities to love as God loves and participate in acts of healing.

Pray

Pray so that you can see beyond the curtain of suffering into the opportunity to understand who you are as a child of God.  Pray so that you can perceive the goodness of God's creation in the midst of suffering.


Forward to a friend