The Bible tells us something very interesting to help change our perspective when it comes to suffering.
Transcript
[Steve Myers] So many are suffering right now through the challenges of trials and difficulties, job issues, family problems, psychological issues that we face from our childhood that haunt us, death in the family. All of these sufferings face us as human beings. And yet, despite all of this, the Bible tells us something very interesting to help change our perspective when it comes to suffering. There's a passage in 1 Peter that is almost astounding when you consider it. 1 Peter 2:20, it says, "What credit is it, if when you're beaten for your faults, you take it patiently, but when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God?"
So it presents us with this idea we should take suffering patiently, but even more than that, Peter goes on to give us the change of perspective. And he says, "For to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow in his steps" (1 Peter 2:21). Have you ever considered this before? We were called to suffering. So oftentimes, you'll hear the health-wealth gospel out there. And if you do this, you're gonna be healthy. And if you do this, you're gonna be wealthy. And you follow God, and everything will be wonderful. That's not true. We're told here, "You were called to suffering." Part of the human condition is suffering. That's the nature of life and sometimes.
And we can't fix that because we are physical. We are mortal human beings. This is not the life that it's all about. God wants us to look ahead to eternal life. And so to follow the example of Christ, He certainly didn't deserve to suffer. And yet, He was a man of sorrows. And so we have that calling, that no matter what life deals with us, we can have this perspective. And when we even do good and we suffer, when we take it patiently, and with God's help, he says, "This is commendable before God." So let's try to have this change of perspective. And as we think about suffering, God also has the solution to suffering that we'll talk about in future dailies. So think about that.
