My Child

The book of 1 Peter in the Bible is addressed “To those set aside”. If you feel this way about yourself, for whatever reason, this portion of Scripture offers great hope as well as guidance for coping with this particular life situation. This article follows the book of 1 Peter in order, quoting portions from it and offering commentary. All the 1 Peter Scripture quotes are from The Message; all other quotes are from the New International Version (NIV). 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

To those set aside: 

“. . . to exiles scattered to the four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten . . . May everything good from God be yours!” (1 Peter 1:1-2) 

The sick, the disabled, those in new communities without friends or a church fellowship or perhaps even a job, the pioneers who don’t fit the old wineskin but haven’t yet found the new, the misunderstood dreamers and visionaries, the unemployed can all feel like strangers in a strange land - exiles, with no one who understands or supports them. But God understands, is alongside, is supportive and appreciative. Although others may see us as unproductive and valueless, or simply don’t see us at all, God sees us and blesses us as fully and freely as He does those who are in the thick of activities that the world does value. 

“Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for . . . life healed and whole.” (1 Peter 1:3, 5) 

God heals now. But fullness of healing waits for glory. Perfection waits for glory. Being released into our full potential and into the complete realization of our vision and our heart’s desires waits for glory. This is the haunting that gnaws at the core of our being. We remember Paradise in this place within us. However, Paradise was lost. It will come again, but we must endure the wait for our destiny to be fulfilled. However, this is also our hope - the reason we don’t give up, but push forward with enthusiasm - because we have everything to live for. And we’ll make it because God is making sure that we do. One day, we will have it all. And so we press on. 

“Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.” (1 Peter 1:7)

When we find ourselves unable to do, it’s so easy to feel worthless, as if our worth is in what we do. But our worth is in our faith. And it takes less faith to be a busy, appreciated churchgoer, worker or family member than it does to live as an anonymous/overlooked/devalued/divorced person who cannot find a way to do what the world deems valuable. Those of us in that desert are forced to wrestle, as fervently as Jacob wrestled, with God and with questions like:  

Are you really so good, God? Is my life evidence of Your goodness?
Is this what you call having “everything to live for”?
Am I of any value to You right now?
Am I of any value to the planet right now?
Do You really love me? Is this how You show it? 

It’s so easy to have faith when we like our circumstances. But the desert of the castaways, the misunderstood, the unable - that’s fire. The fire, though, is put to gold, and that gold is in us. And it can’t be destroyed. Only purified. And proved. Our faith - our refusal to let go of God, our demand that He get us through - that’s what God will put on display for the universe to see - not our hard work, but our tried and torn yet believing hearts. 

“Because you kept on believing, you’ll get what you’re looking forward to: total salvation.” (1 Peter 1:9) 

This is the path of ongoing healing and freedom, as unlikely as that seems. We may find ourselves “outside the camp” - leaving behind what society and organized religion say to pursue and following the path set before us. But Jesus is also “outside the camp” (Hebrews 13:11-13).[1] Others may be called to labour in the heat of the day and the full sun where all can see. But we, at this time, are called to the shadows and to obscurity. Can we accept by faith that God deeply values the people in the shadows as much as He does those labouring in the fields - that “[t]he share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle” (1 Samuel 30:24)?  

“Your life is a journey . . .” (1 Peter 1:17) 

Journeys are surprising things. You always set out with plans of where you’re going and what you’re going to do. But journeys almost never go as planned. Sometimes you’re surprised with joy - the road turns and you suddenly see a scene of such surpassing beauty that you stop at a place where you never intended to stop and spend time you never intended to spend and just enjoy a gift you never expected to receive. And sometimes you’re surprised with pain. You blow a tire, in the rain, at night, you have no roadside assistance, and no one stops to help. You’re suddenly in a challenging, maddening, lonely place you never expected to be - for how long, you don’t know. 

“Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God.” (1 Peter 1:17) 

God is surely in the mountain scene. But is He on the lonely roadside in the rain? And if He is, why doesn’t He fix the tire and get you out of there? Good questions that God seldom answers. He lets us fret and stew and berate Him - sometimes for years - with those questions, and still keeps silent. 

“It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought . . . God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God . . . Your new life is not like your old life . . . your new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself!” (1 Peter 1:18-23)

It’s so easy to think of life’s deserts as horrible, empty places. But in Christ, they’re the complete opposite. We left horrible and empty behind when we joined our life to Christ’s. Now, all deserts are full of life and contain hope and a wonderful future. This is the challenge of deserts - finding in the midst of the miles of dry, burning sand, the oasis of life. But it’s always there, and usually closer than we think. 

“So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk.” (1 Peter 2:1) 

This verse speaks to the source of our suffering. How much of our suffering arises from our circumstances, and how much from these four things: 

(1)        evil feelings toward the person who terminated me or caused the accident in which I was disabled or lost a loved one, the parents who caused my mind and emotions to twist so that I still dangle on their string, the stupid people who can’t see that my way is a better way or can’t see past my differentness, or who expect me to do all the things I used to be able to do despite my disability;

(2)        my pretence that I’m fine when I’m not, all the times I bite my tongue and am not honest as a result, my continuing to do things I know will aggravate my physical condition, my smiling and nodding as people spout nonsense at me or claim to understand me when they don’t even see me;

(3)        envy of myself the way I used to be, of those who seem to have it so much easier than I do (financially, socially, work-wise, family-wise), of the healthy and whole, of those who think little and float through life in happy ignorance, of my caregivers and others who look so much more useful than I do;

(4)        hurtful talk about the #&!* manager who fired me, spouse who doesn’t understand me, drunk who hit my car, human resources recruiter who didn’t hire me, church people who pat me on the head and say they’re praying for me then go their way, people who think my ideas and dreams are stupid/are unrealistic/will never happen, and myself for getting all stewed up about them. 

But even if we could get rid of all these things, what then? Is there something better to take their place? 

“You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God.” (1 Peter 2:2-3) 

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But for those filled with pain, malice, pretence, envy and hurtful talk, this is so hard. How can you relax into complete vulnerability like an infant at the breast when you’re tense and defensive in these things? Let alone suckle the kindness you may doubt is even there. Is God really so kind if He lets my life become this? But this is the place to which we must get. This is where our survival is. This is where our salvation is. However impossible it may appear that we can ever get to this place, this is the only destination worth aiming for. 

“Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God.” (1 Peter 2:4-5) 

When we find ourselves “outside the camp”, it’s generally people who put us and keep us there. Shut-ins are overlooked and ignored by family and church as their perceived worth evaporates with their physical abilities. Those who are different can’t penetrate the cliques and social groups of the “normal”. Those who see through the myths and sins of the groups around them are rejected as troublemakers, rebels, Jezebels, and holier than thou. Those who march to a different drum are viewed with fear and suspicion. Everyone is building, but no one wants us as a stone in any building, let alone theirs.

Yet we know that we have much to give if only people would take some time to get to know us. Jesus understands. He was a living stone, full of life. The workmen only took one look and threw Him out. But God had a place of honour for Him. And God has a place of honour for us, too. He has a sanctuary where we fit as Christ-approved people. The challenge is: Can we move away in our hearts from the rejection of man to living fully content in God’s acceptance alone? 

“Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it.” (1 Peter 2:11) 

Rejection by the world highlights our longing for the world. Everything in us yearns to have a valuable place in it. We want to succeed, to achieve, to contribute some good, to leave our mark. Believers long to serve, to give, to help. And these are godly desires. It’s one way we’re just like our Father. What we don’t like, and refuse to believe could be God’s will for us, is that some of God’s heroes of the faith were “vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless” (Hebrews 11:37). We hope that sort of thing only happens in times of persecution of the church and that we will never know such persecution in our lifetime. But individual believers know that this kind of exile is possible at any time. That believers in chronic pain who can’t sit in hard chairs for any length of time are not welcomed in the average North American church where all of church life takes place in that posture. That the church has always persecuted her visionaries and prophets, and today is no different than yesterday. That newcomers to communities encounter church cliques. And that the emotionally/mentally disturbed get shuffled off to counseling where the body of Christ hopes they’ll stay and not come back til they’re a little more comfortable to be around.To all of this, God does not say: “Be of good cheer. I’ll help you find a place to fit.” He says, “Friends.” Here is our place of acceptance and fellowship. “Friends, this world is not your home.”

The rejected are blessed in knowing this significant truth. Why is it so significant? Because we are kids of the kingdom, and Jesus said (John 18:26): “My kingdom is not of this world.” This is the good confession that Christ made to Pilate and that Christians make (or should make) when they come to faith in Christ (1 Timothy 6:12-13).[2] This is where the battle line is drawn in the “good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). Are we cozy in this world and fighting to stay that way, or are we content to be part of the kingdom that is not of this world? 

“It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society . . . What counts is that you put up with it for God’s sake when you’re treated badly for no good reason . . . if you’re treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God. This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step. He never did one thing wrong. Not once said anything amiss. They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right.” (1 Peter 2:15, 19-23) 

So how can the rejected live? We continue to be good servants - God’s servants. The rejected need to understand that if God isn’t rejecting us, we aren’t the rejected. The world’s opinion counts for nothing. Jesus was the perfect person, but the “church” of His day didn’t see it that way. The government didn’t see it that way. At one point, His own family didn’t see it that way but thought him to be mentally ill and needing incarceration. But that didn’t change what He was. And it didn’t change the fact that He was the beloved of God.

So is it easy to live well when rejected? No. It’s emotionally hard, it’s socially hard, and it’s mentally hard. But it can be done. The trick is not to be seduced into giving the world what it wants in order to find a cozy place in it. God’s visionaries and prophets should continue to hold to what He is showing them. Those who can’t break the hard walls of church cliques need to not be goaded by that into bitterness and judgment and into being rejecting people themselves. The sick and disabled need to listen to God for His purpose for keeping them in this life and be content with that without performing all the feats of greatness that others value. And those who understand that it’s who we are and not what we do that matters need to resist the pull into the driven life of our North American society and churches and continue to make time to allow God to conform them to the image of Christ.

The Bible says that the work of God is simply to believe in Jesus (John 6:29)[3] - nothing more and, more importantly, nothing less. That “[t]he only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6).[4] That only one thing is needed in this life, and that is to take time to know Jesus, really know Him (Luke 10:40-42).[5] That above all other things, we need to guard, cultivate and nurture our own heart, for all of our life springs from our own heart (Proverbs 4:23).[6] This is what it means to be “good servants”, “God’s servants”. And all of us can do this. The secret to being satisfied in rejection is to be content with achieving this and content with God’s “well done” to the exclusion of the approval of others who do not define success in this way.  

“Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless - that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, here’s what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth. God looks on all this with approval . . .” (1 Peter 3:8-12a) 

Being the outsider only hurts if we value ourselves according to what we do in the sight of others - being accepted into a group, having our ideas approved, being able to work and earn remuneration. The pain of the set-aside, the snubbed, the ridiculed, the ignored isn’t the rejection. It’s in our own faulty value system. We don’t measure up by our own standard of worth.

This is a crossroads of huge significance. We can continue to cling to our value system and turn on ourselves in despair over how useless we are or turn on others for their failure to understand our value. Or we can revisit our value system. Is it true that people are valuable according to what they can do - and do within the confines of other people’s understanding of how things should be done? Is that what God values?

Apparently not. Apparently human value has to do with our character. We can think radically differently from everyone else so long as we express ourselves in ways that don’t demean others. We can be unemployed or shut in or disabled so long as we are filled with peace, and our heart toward God, others and ourselves is good. We can be the outsider so long as we avoid cutting the insiders to pieces with our tongue or in our thoughts.

The insiders and the outsiders, the well and the sick, the followers and the pioneers, the “normal” and the different are all called to the same standard of worth - Christlikeness. And all are equally capable of being worthy by this standard.

“If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones.” (1 Peter 3:13-18a) 

Human beings are social creatures. We want to be part of the group. It’s in our nature to want to do life with others. When Adam was all alone on the earth, God said that this was not good, and so He made another person - Eve. When others set us aside, that hurts. When the church sets us aside, that really hurts because the church “knows” that all believers are family.

In our hurt, we wonder: “Is there something that wrong with me? What is it, so I can fix it?” And our minds think over and over again on how we’re being treated and how bad it feels and what can we do to get in everyone’s good books.

But there may be nothing wrong with us. Christ was an outsider to most of established society yet there was nothing wrong with Him. He didn’t attract the “in” people at all, and so His opponents would sneer and call him “a friend of tax collectors and ‘sinners’” (Matthew 11:19).[7] That was all He was good for - to hang with the rest of the “valueless” people. Yet Christ was the most valuable of us all. People just couldn’t see it. But God could, and He said: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

So with us. If we’re rejected and held at a distance through no sin of our own, the solution isn’t always trying to figure a way to overcome the barriers. “Don’t give the opposition a second thought.” But rather “keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your master”. Dig deeper into God. That is where our value is - and our resting place, our joy, our peace, our quality of life. We must be true to ourselves and who we are (including our inabilities as well as our strengths) and what we dream, and be devoted to God. Whatever (or whoever) detracts us from those things is devaluing our life.

So we take to heart that the first and greatest commandment in the universe is (Matthew 22:37): “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” We are mindful to protect our heart, living always out of the truth of who we are and who God created us to be (Proverbs 4:23): “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (the source of who you are). And we remind ourselves that rejection does not necessarily mean we’re faulty (Matthew 5:10-12), and, if we’re not faulty, then we need to learn a proper response to being on the outside: 

10  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11  Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

“Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.” (1 Peter 4:1-2) 

We have needs, and we must attend to those needs. We love others as we love ourselves (Matthew 19:19).[8] We are to look after our own interests as well as the interests of others (Philippians 2:4).[9] We are to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2),[10] but we must also carry our own load (Galatians 6:5).[11] The Bible clearly teaches that we are to look after ourselves. But it is sinful to always expect to have our own way, and what we want can tyrannize or abuse us if we let it.

Let’s say that I move to a new community and attempt to find a church fellowship. But month after month goes by, and I still don’t belong anywhere. My need for fellowship in the faith is not being met. My need is legitimate, and my frustration at the lack is legitimate. I am at a crossroads. I can let the need tyrannize me, so that I begin to think and talk poorly about the local churches and what their problems are and how if they ever got their act together I wouldn’t find myself as an outsider to the Christian community. Or . . .

Or what? 

“Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him.” (1 Peter 4:1) 

What did He go through (Isaiah 53): 

2b  He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

How did He react (Philippians 2): 

6  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7  but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 

Hebrews 12:2
. . . who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame . . . 

When our legitimate needs aren’t met, when our good plans fail, when our godly desires are frustrated, there is only one place to go where all can be satisfied - to God Himself. Not that He always meets our needs the minute we come, because He doesn’t. Not that His solution always looks wonderful because, like the cross, it may not. He may end our trial, or He may walk with us but we still have to endure it.

However, no matter which way it goes, our greatest good will be realized as we honestly engage this God who may seem to have sidelined Himself from our struggle. Why is He seemingly on the sidelines? Why isn’t He fixing this? Those are great questions to pursue directly with God. But a word of warning. Engaging God on these questions can result in a lengthy, ongoing search for His heart that may leave you feeling frustrated and unfulfilled for a good while. However, we search for Him and we find Him when we search for Him with all our heart and soul (Jeremiah 29:13;[12] Deuteronomy 4:29).[13] And finding Him is the fulfilment of our need. 

“Of course, your old friends don’t understand why you don’t join in with the old gang anymore. But you don’t have to give an account to them.” (1 Peter 4:4) 

When old friends can’t relate to us as we change, and new people won’t be our friends because we’re different in a way they don’t like or aren’t comfortable with, our natural desire is to explain ourselves to them so they will understand and so they won’t take offence at us. But God says that we don’t owe them an account of our lives. We answer only to God for how we live. Unless someone asks us the reason for the hope that’s in us (1 Peter 3:15). Then we answer.

But mostly people don’t ask - they challenge. They’re not interested in us. They are uncomfortable and seeking to re-establish their status quo. And the disabled, the visionary, the newcomer, the dreamer all tend to break the status quo. But what is the status quo? It is the belief that the greatest good in life is to be as happy as, and to suffer as little as, possible. We live to be good people, raise good kids, hold a good job and be good churchgoers. And God’s job is to make sure this all happens. When pain happens, those around us look for victory to come soon, and they insist that we mourn our pain in an acceptable fashion. So, when we hurt, if we want to maintain the status quo, we tell people we’re having some problems right now, but God is good, and He’s with us. That’s acceptable. We never say: “My life is in the toilet, I am in agony, I haven’t a clue which way to turn, and God right now is being about as useless as tits on a bull.” This, although it may be honest, breaks the rules and is not acceptable. Because it means that God either isn’t there, or He isn’t good, or He doesn’t care about our happiness. And where would that leave everyone?

Prophets and dreamers challenge. But mostly, people don’t want to be challenged. Challenge brings change, frustration and hardship as risks are taken to rise to a higher calling. Newcomers may bring new ideas and expectations that no one wants to entertain. The disabled bring fear that the worst could happen and God may not fix it. And people just want to be left alone to be comfortable and good. Surely God is pleased when life is that way? Quiet and good, everything going well, no major turmoil. That’s what a God of peace and love wants for people, right? And so the insiders let those who are different know that their place is outside their camp. 

“Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.” (1 Peter 4:12-13) 

Why is glory just around the corner from suffering? Is it that, if we behave ourselves and learn our lesson from the hard times, then we’ll get back into God’s good books and back to being happy again? No. That would be a poor definition of “glory”.

The fact is, pain drives us inward. When we really hurt, we tend not to see anything but the hurt. Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that this is a bad thing, and we force ourselves to pull back from the pain - we distract ourselves by working hard, or we turn on the TV or medicate or immerse ourselves in what’s going on at church. But if we do those things to the point of never entering fully into the pain, we will miss the glory.

We need to allow ourselves to be pulled inside ourselves. Because that is where God is. It’s true that He’s everywhere and He’s in heaven. But we can touch Him most intimately within our own hearts, where His home is (John 14:23),[14] where His kingdom is (Luke 17:20-21),[15] where the Holy of Holies is (1 Corinthians 6:19; [16] 2 Corinthians 6:16).[17]

But as we do that, we encounter the fullness of our pain. We also come face to face with our junk - our pet sins, our bad beliefs, our hidden selfishness and pride. And we’ll need to deal with those things. But as we do that, we discover something deeper and more real than our pain and our junk - our desire for God. This, too, doesn’t feel good. It feels empty and achy and parched. We love the verse (Psalm 42:1b): “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” But have we ever wondered how a panting deer feels? I would think if any animal is panting for water, it’s in trouble and knows it. This is also how we feel as we discover our thirst for God. But if we persist and don’t run from this, we’ll arrive at the glory - God’s great desire for us, revealed to us - His love beyond measure, His compassion and mercy, His goodness and greatness.

Pain is a road sign pointing the way. Generally the way is a very inconvenient detour off the chosen road of our life. But if God is our destination, we need to follow the detour. 

“If you’re abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It’s the Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of others.” (1 Peter 4:14) 

God’s prophets, visionaries, apostles and just general sold-out saints eventually are persecuted by God’s people. Oh, it’s not that God’s people are mean and nasty necessarily. But the pressure to turn from God’s leading can be just as intense and just as painful. Especially when it’s our immediate family applying the pressure. Do any of these sound familiar: 

• You know we love you, right? That’s why we have to say that these ideas of yours . . .

• Are you in a cult?

• It’ll never fly. May as well give up now before you get hurt.

• Sounds awfully risky.

• You know, no one’s ever done it that way before. What makes you think you’re smarter than all of them? (Matthew 13:57 - “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”)

• We love you too much to let you continue on like this. (Mark 3:21 - “When [Jesus’] family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’”)

• Are you out of your mind?

• You’re upsetting people in the church, and the elders want to meet with you.

• What if something goes wrong?

It bears listening to cautions, and we do well to examine our own heart and motives for where we stand. We can be wrong, after all. But if, when all is said and done, we are in fact in the centre of God’s will for us, and opposition is happening because others are not comfortable with the move of God in our lives, then we count ourselves fortunate, and we move on. 

“So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7) 

The danger faced by both the outsider and those who hold them there is the danger of entitlement and superiority - “Who do they think they are!” God loves on both sides. He’s not so concerned about who’s right and who’s wrong as who will entrust themselves to Him in the midst of the debacle.

And so we’re called to lighten up and to return to the focus - loving God, loving ourselves and loving our neighbour - on these everything to do with the Christian life turns. 

“Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ - eternal and glorious plans they are! - will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.” (1 Peter 5-10) 

God has wonderful plans for each of us. But we tend to think they end when our time on earth ends. So we get all bent out of shape when others thwart us or put up roadblocks to us, hold us at arm’s length and keep us there. But God’s plans for us are eternal. They can’t be contained in the here and now, and they can’t be thwarted. God always has the last word. There is hope. And so Peter ends his letter by signing off in this way: 

“The church in exile . . . but not for a moment forgotten by God . . . Peace to you - to all who walk in Christ’s ways.” 1 Peter 5:13-14)