“So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” (1 Peter 4:19)

Today’s nugget comes from our men’s group (Every Man a Warrior) suggested reading list.

So here is the question of the day, when is it okay not to do the right thing? I’m fairly certain we all know the correct answer. We should always strive to do the right thing. But today’s verse considers a very specific example concerning our responses to situations. What, as Christians, are we to do when life hits us with a sucker punch that knocks us back on our heels? The Apostle Peter, the rock which Christ has built the church, gives us the answer. We are to put our faith in the creator and continue to do good. So how does this verse play out in real life? Well it goes like this; you get cut off on the road – you continue to do good. Your job takes a turn for the worst – you continue to do good. Your health has a sudden decline – you continue to do good. A family member or otherwise close friend turns their back on you – you continue to do good. The list can go on and on, because as humans we want to justify our bad behavior. We want to use our adverse circumstances to justify our reactions. We want our anger to be righteous and the results of our anger to be validated. However, 1 Peter 4:19 opposes this natural conviction to rationalize our responses. It says when we suffer we should commit ourselves to God and continue to do good. This verse leaves no room for exceptions. There is only endure the suffering according to God’s will – commit yourself to God – and continue to do good. This is a hard verse, and living it out is even harder. If this is a struggle for you, I guarantee you are in good company. God bless, and may we all continue to do good.