Suffering According to God's Will

Dear CrossPointe,

One consistent thread throughout 1 Peter is the role of suffering in the Christian life. Our text this week, 1 Peter 4:12-19, zooms in on what it means to suffer as a Christian and actually rejoice in the God-glorifying results that come from it.

One of the most important things an individual Christian or church community can do is develop a good theology of suffering. We live in a broken world and are broken people, and suffering is sadly a natural consequence. Good theology doesn't minimize suffering, then, but rather grapples with it by providing a framework by which we can approach, endure and encourage one another as we inevitably experience pain and suffering in this life.

So, take a few moments to read this text. Pray for God to help us think through what it means to suffer according to God's will. Additionally, we'll have the privilege of baptizing five believers this Sunday! Praise God for their testimonies of his grace.

I'm looking forward to Sunday, and hope to see you then!

Brad