How Should We Respond When People Hurt Us?
(Click for Audio)
As Peter
moves back into the subject of suffering he gives us three great principles to
keep in mind when people hurt us:
- Remember God is close to those who suffer
and that He is mighty to save.
- Don't respond in kind. Don't return evil for
evil, insult for insult. If we do that we destroy the fellowship with God that
can sustain us and we frustrate the good work that God intends to perform.
- Be ready to share the reason for our hope.
Our response to suffering proves the
reality that our hope is grounded in something bigger than anything of this
world. Those around us need that kind of hope too. As an example of these
principles Peter refers to an incident in the life of David before he became
king of Israel,
which is the subject of Psalm 34. It's a great encouragement to all of us and
even contains a hint of the greater example who was (at that stage) yet to come
- Jesus Christ.
