As a general rule, we tend to avoid suffering. We try hard to prevent illness. We seek security in our jobs and finances. We demand safety in our homes and church assemblies. If you did not know any better, you might get the impression that we fear pain. Yet as Christians living in a world full of sin and death, avoiding all suffering just is not possible – or even, desirable.
In I Peter 4, the Apostle said you are either going to live “for human passions” like everyone else or “for the will of God” by living in the spirit like Him (4:1-2, 6). While saying no to “sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry” for Jesus might not be much of a sacrifice for you personally, that does not mean God’s way is pain-free: “With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you” (4:3-4).
Choosing to follow Jesus is to choose to be different in a world that bombards you with messages, demands your approval, and relentlessly pressures you to conform. That can make us fear:
“If I don’t work non-stop, I’ll never get ahead in my career.”
“If I mention Jesus, I might ruin my relationship with this person I care about.”
We fear being the only one at the business dinner not drinking or the only student who has not had sex.
Peter understands that fear, and he does not try to minimize it. Instead, he is straight with us: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (4:12). Sometimes it will hurt to choose Jesus. Yet, we can rejoice in it because we “share in Christ’s sufferings” (4:13). In the pain, we are experiencing something Jesus felt and are becoming more like Him. “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (4:14). When we say or do something to advance God’s kingdom even though it scares us, the Holy Spirit rests on us in that moment. We experience a closeness to and a power from God that we never would have otherwise.
So, do not be afraid to share Jesus with your friends or to offer to pray for a stranger. Do not be afraid to leave work in time to do a family devotional or to be mocked for being “the only one”. Not because it is not scary or painful: sometimes it is. Yet when it is, you will share something with Jesus and experience the Spirit in ways that are more than worth it.
There are so many reasons to be afraid right now. Because we are with Jesus, we do not have to be. Check out our sermon series “Do Not Be Afraid” to learn more!