When, Not If: 1 Peter 2:11-12
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Have you ever felt like you don’t belong? Ever feel like this life doesn’t make sense and you just can’t seem to fit in? That actually is a good thing. For believers of Jesus, we are not supposed to fit in. We are not supposed to belong in the world. We are merely travelers passing through on our way home to Heaven. If you are a believer and you are focused on fitting in, you are focused on the wrong thing, and a very dangerous thing it is.
Peter gets a lot of flack. He was the disciple who told Jesus he would die for Him, but then denied Jesus when things got scary. He responded in such painfully relatable ways to Jesus’ teaching and instructions, and situations the disciples were put in, but not the things we like to relate to. After the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, Peter became a leader in the new church. He grew and matured in faith and confidence, and he ended up suffering immensely for it. He knew what it meant to not want to stand out, and then later learned he must stand out for the sake of Jesus no matter the cost. Eventually, it cost him his life.
In this life, followers of Jesus will suffer. We are in the thick of a war over our very souls, and everything we do is being judged by the world around us. The world wants to condemn us, and we are warned that when…not if…when we are persecuted, when people speak evil against us, when we are slandered and mocked, when evil is targeted at us, we are to keep on going the good work Jesus teaches us to do. When we suffer, we should keep on being faithful, keep pouring out those fruits of the Spirit, and keep looking up to the One our help comes from for such a task.
Scripture is filled with encouragement and commands about how we are to live as followers of Jesus – to love, to forgive, to be gentle, kind, and patient. These instructions are not just for when it is easy. These are commands for us to stand on and hold fast to when it is difficult; for the times we really want to react in frustration rather than respond in love.
Christ knew all along how hard it would be for us to respond His way rather than react in the way that feels natural to us. This is why He left us His Helper, the Holy Spirit, whose job it is to sanctify us, convict us, and transform us. It is our job to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and allow ourselves to be used by God, for God, to bring Him glory through the way we live, speak, work, and respond to all that the world throws at us.
So the next time someone says something unkind about you, accuses you of something, picks you last, pushes you out, or knocks you down – look up and seek His strength to do the difficult thing and respond in the way that will bring God glory. Seek His help standing out to be set apart for Him, unashamed, unafraid, ready to defend your faith and take the hit knowing you have Heaven’s armies fighting this fight alongside you, and a whole court of heavenly hosts cheering you on and praising God all the more for the work of His Spirit working in you.
How do you need to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit better? How is He calling you to be set apart today? Where do you need to let go of the world and cling to the Lord? What areas of your life are you neglecting to give God the glory? Where are you more focused on earthly things and God’s glory?
Surrender it today. Give way to God’s Spirit. Give Him access to all of it, and let Him lead you through this life in which you are merely passing through. Don’t make this place your final goal and destination. Set your eyes, heart and mind on the hope we have ahead for us in Heaven.
