Monday, November 2, 2009

What's Up with That?

No one likes to be treated unfaily. Unfortunately that is part of living among people. As Christians, we may be subjected to this kind of treatment more often because of who we represent. Peter points out an unusual way of looking at suffering unjustly at the hands of unbelievers. He reminds us that Jesus died, "the just for the unjust" (1 Peter 3:17-18).

Could this mean when we suffer at the hands of an unjust person, we are in some way participating in God's plan for that particular person's life? Is it possible that our suffering at his or her hands is part of what will lead them to Christ? "The just for the unjust, in order that he might bring us to Chirst."

Regardless of what God is doing in the unjust person by his or her mistreatment of God's child, God is using that specific trial to purify us (1 Peter 4:1).