Do Good

I Pet 4:19 "Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator."

I am starting to catch a theme. Peter is writing to the persecuted church…to the dispersed church…to people who have gone through suffering. He is telling them that Christ suffered in the flesh and they can expect the same thing. He said that they should not be surprised at the "fiery trial" that they will experience. (Kind of a play on words since Nero burned Rome and some Christians were literally being burned.) This is tough stuff. This is not fun. And the early church was experiencing things that we can't imagine. They were experiencing things that many in the 21^st century church are going through in other countries right now. They were experiencing suffering that we in America have never seen.

I was listening to the radio yesterday and Janet Parshal was talking about taking up our cross. Being willing to be ridiculed and ostracized and marginalized because we are Christians. If that is all the early church had to put up with, they would have rejoiced. If that is what the church in China or Iran had to put up with, they would be ecstatic. We think it is tough because someone calls us a name, or wants to take a cross out of museum. That is nothing. Real suffering is losing your home. Real suffering is losing your job. Real suffering is losing your family. Real suffering is being impaled on a stake, dipped in tar and set on fire.

And what does Peter say to these people? Trust God. Commit your souls to your faithful Creator. And you know what? They did. They took it. They are taking it and they are standing firm in their faith.

And, one other thing…here it is…do good. Even in the middle of suffering. Even in the middle of loss. Even in the middle of persecution…do good, act right, do what is right. I am not sure how this is done except through the power of God. The natural thing to do when you are in pain or have loss is to retreat. To close yourself off. To preserve yourself. Peter's advice is that this natural reaction needs to be taken over by the power of God and good must be done.

I know that in a country where we still have our freedom we have a tendency to be self centered, to go after what we think is our right, what we deserve, what we have worked hard for. It may be that doing good may actually be harder in this culture. What I need to do is resist. Resist the desire to have good done to me and do it for others. Now in our freedom and also when we meet suffering. Always do good, no matter what.