I Peter 4:1 ” Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.”

We want it both ways. We are happy to share in Christ’s resurrection…but have a difficult time sharing in His sufferings. Somehow we imagine that Jesus’ sufferings at Calvary weren’t as horrific as portrayed…but we need to remember that He was not only fully God, but also fully man…and capable of feeling every searing pain imaginable. Not only that, but it says that He suffered and died for us, leaving us an example – or a pattern – to follow…uniting us to Him by our sufferings. (I Peter 2:21-24) But we still want it both ways. It tells us to arm ourselves with the same attitude…the same mindset and intention by living for God’s glory and not our own. To look at our sufferings as character building opportunities, so hiding our life in Christ that we then possess the motivation and power to resist sin through the Holy Spirit. And when we accept both shared experiences…Christ’s resurrection as well as His sufferings…our purpose changes from living for self to living for His glory.

Author: kezha1

A Christian mother, grandmother, and retired nurse living in Illinois. Called into a ministry of encouraging others to find their ultimate plan and purpose in life through Christ. View all posts by kezha1