Daily Bread

You Are Blessed – 1 Peter 4:14

“If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.” – 1 Peter 4:14

There is this special feeling we feel every time other people identify us as Christians. It has always been a great joy on our part that we will be called followers of Christ or children of God. Most of the time, we even unknowingly give ourselves some signal that if people will be shocked to know that we are a Christian, then we should assess ourselves. However, if people will say that we are treating others well, obeying God, and following Christ, it is because we are Christians, then good job faithful servant of God. 

Yet we must understand that the Christian life is not a life of ease, rainbows and flowers, and a life with no suffering. In fact, it is a life full of those painful worldly accusations, persecutions, and sufferings. Just like our verse today, it is both actually an encouragement and also an eye-opener for us Christians. It is a fact that we can never deny that we will really be insulted because we are Christians. We will suffer, we will be persecuted, and worst, we will be rejected by the whole world. 

However, we should not stop reading this verse in the first part only, but we must continue reading it to the part that if it is for Christ, then we will be blessed because the Spirit of God rests upon us. Indeed we should not be dismayed that we are suffering, persecuted, and insulted because we are Christians. We should even be happy because we are treated just like how the world treated our Savior. What should shock us is if we are Christians but we are treated by the world as friends. We have to understand that the world hates the Word.  

The sinful world hates the righteous and holy God because it only wants to sin and to follow the fleshly desires. On the other hand, God hates sin and unrighteousness. Indeed that there is no common between righteousness and unrighteousness. Therefore, if we are followers of Christ, we will really suffer, we will be persecuted, and we will be insulted and rejected. However, it should not hinder us to serve God and continue following Him because that should be our expected treatment. The world hated Christ, so why should we expect to be treated better than Him? We must share Christ’s suffering and we should accept it with joy because we now know that we are blessed. 

Thus, being insulted, being rejected, and persecuted for Christ is not a loss but the best thing we can gain. We are not losing anything, but we are gaining blessings for God resides in us. Again, the world will really see Christ as an enemy, so if we are seen as the enemy of the world, then we are of Christ. Rejoice and be glad for God resides in you and that you are manifesting Christ in your life if the world hates you. Do not be dismayed and rejoice all the time.

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