Day 66 · Week 10
Passage: 1 Peter 2:19–23; 1 Peter 4:14–16
Memory Verse: Matthew 5:10
1 Peter 4:15 (KJV)
“But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.”
It is possible to be opposed and still be wrong.
Peter makes an important distinction. There is no special blessing in suffering because we behaved badly. Christians should not confuse the consequences of poor choices with persecution for Christ.
This matters because we can easily defend ourselves by saying, “People are against me because I stand for truth,” when perhaps our attitude, words, or actions contributed to the conflict.
Jesus was different.
Peter says that when Christ was reviled, He did not revile in return. He suffered unjustly without becoming unjust Himself.
Before calling opposition persecution, it is wise to ask a few questions. Was I truthful? Was I respectful? Did I listen? Was I trying to help or merely trying to win? Did my conduct represent Jesus?
If we discover that we were wrong, the Christian response is not defensiveness. It is repentance.
But if we have acted with integrity and kindness and still face opposition because we obey Christ, we can entrust ourselves to God just as Jesus did.
Faithfulness includes both courage to stand and humility to examine ourselves.
Why is it important to examine our own behavior before deciding that someone else's opposition is persecution?
When someone corrects me, is my first response to defend myself or to consider whether there is something I need to learn?
Ask God to give your family both courage and humility—the courage to stand for truth and the humility to admit when you are wrong.