However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 1 Peter 4:16 NIV
As hard as this sounds, this is not a call to fear but a reminder of God's Word for the present times. The world is in the throes of its final stretch and all that was prophesied about these end times are happening now. It is easy to get distracted or discouraged but today's extract is a reminder of the things that are truly important:
1. Suffering will come: Today's extract does not spell out exactly how and when it will happen, but it is something that will happen. The call of God on a man's life cannot meet with indifference. It is a call that other men will either support or oppose. Even for men of old who were convinced beyond any measure of doubt that God sent them, they had their bouts of suffering for the testimony of the One whose call they had heeded. Elijah had his Ahab and Jezebel. When you know that a thing is bound to happen, it helps set your heart at rest.
2. My reaction matters: when the pain comes, it matters how I respond. Since I have been told several times that these things are going to happen, I must sort out my plan of action and response before those things come. I am asked not to be ashamed of the name I bear. I believe the right question to ask here is: Do I really bear the name of Jesus, or is it that people just know me with the name? Is this all about location and nothing about the quality of my relationships? Do I spend all my time around 'church' yet know nothing about the dictates of the Lord and owner of the church? These are tough times ahead for the world and nothing in God's Word says it will get better; the one thing I am assured of is God's abiding presence. When I have that, it does not matter what else follows.
3. Praise God: odd instruction, but timely. My outer man may be wasting away but my inner man is being restored. My light and momentary troubles are working out an eternal glory that outweighs all that may come my way. If I do not fully understand the reasoning behind the experience, I will not understand the reason for praise. I praise God because I have been told by Him how things end. I may not know when or how, but His Word assures me that physical death is just a phase into eternal glory. Whatever else may come in between, God has got my heart totally. The name of Jesus that I bear may bring pain, but I am comforted by the truth that in and by Him, it will end well.
I look ahead with hope to all that is ahead. No matter what comes, God has my back. He says: 'No Fear'; not that everything will always be easy, but in Him, all will end well. That is enough for me. His time of favour is here.
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