1 Peter 5:9
“but resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”
It takes effort to be firm in our faith. There is much that’s fighting against us: the world, the flesh and the devil. These three were addressed in the last three posts. They represent much opposition. It’s actually too much. Without God’s help, we would crumble.
Peter gives a strategy to help us: others are going through the same things. There is comfort when we learn that we aren’t alone. We breathe a sigh of relief. We get this by being involved in fellowship. That’s one of the reasons to attend church (Hebrews 10:25).
One of the the devil’s lies is “I’m weird”. We think that if others knew this about me, they wouldn’t be my friend. He whispers that to us often. The world echoes that same sentiment to those who claim Christ and His values. This has a damaging effect. It wears down our confidence. It weakens us, making it difficult to stand firm.
We need to have close friends that we trust to share our worries and struggles. They often relate to it in some way. Our anxiety lessons. That problem was blown out of proportion and was causing us distress. After sharing we realize we’re not weird, but normal.
After a while, we can easily identify these lies and dismiss them. If our reactions were monitored on a heart rate scale, they initially spiked with high readings. However, as we grow in Christ and are connected in fellowship, the readings become small blips. We aren’t shaken like we used to. It’s easier to stand firm in our faith.
Lord, thank You for the comfort and strength that comes through fellowship. Help us to stand firm in our faith