1 Peter 4:13
“But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
What does it mean to share Christ’s sufferings? One reason is that we have His heart. Thus we are grieved when His will and ways are dishonored. 2 Peter 2:8 says, “and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless.”
As we seek to draw close to God and to eradicate the sin in our lives, the world promotes and celebrates many ungodly ways. This is difficult. Sometimes we want to be part of it. Other times we get tempted or drawn away with worldly philosophies. Then we read the bible or hear a message in church and get convicted.
The Lord wants to cleanse us when we get our feet dirty by walking through the world. We feel badly that we’ve gone astray. The Lord doesn’t offer any condemnation, just acceptance and cleansing. In John 13:9,10 Jesus tells Peter that He’d already been bathed, he just needed his feet washed. 1 John 1:9 also speaks of this.
It’s distressing that we want to follow Christ, yet there’s so much that obstructs us. This is the suffering Peter is talking about. He tells us to rejoice. Peter should know. He denied The Lord several times. He experienced what it’s like to try to live out one’s faith and run into opposition.
Peter also tells us that this will all end and we will rejoice at His coming. If it be in our life time or not, we will eventually be in a place that His will is done. That’s part of the Lord’s Prayer.
Lord, thank You that You integrally involved in our lives. Thank You that we are to rejoice inspite of all the resistance we may be experiencing.