kristaphillips 
Peter is awesome.
I’m finishing up reading 1 Peter today in chapter 5, and I was chatting with the ladies in Bible study about it last night. It’s just so interesting to go from reading Romans, a letter from Paul, to I Peter a letter from — well– Peter! As a writer, I can totally hear their unique “voices” coming out in each of the letters. They have a very similar message, but Peter– I could just hear him throughout the whole book.
This is the dude who was the first to jump out of the boat to walk on water — but quickly lost faith and started drowning.
This is the guy who was all gung ho for defending Jesus in the garden — even slashed off a guard;s ear — only to, shortly after, deny he even knew Jesus three times.
His letter definitely spoke from the experiences he’d gone through.
He talked A LOT about trials and suffering. Anyone who thinks God’s people will never suffer or have bad happen to them — go read 1 Peter.
Peter says when we suffer, we are sharing in Christ’s suffering. That we are to do good and live holy lives, even when we are ridiculed and suffer for it.
It is so easy to look at the pain and hurting around us, the things we are going through, and think — God, why do I have to go through this?
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our “rights” that we think that not suffering should be one of those.
It’s not. Christ was the only one who had the right to not suffer, because he was perfect and blameless, the spotless lamb of God. But he suffered willingly for us. How amazing is that?!?
I love this verse today though, because it doesn’t leave us at the “you’re gonna suffer so just accept it.”
It reminds us that suffering is not our end, it’s just various seasons in our middle.
