Ever wondered why we still suffer, even though God’s on our side?

Let’s look at something beautiful in 1 Peter 2 two, starting at verse 19:

“For this is a gracious thing when mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly… if when you do good and suffer for it, you endure. This is a gracious thing in the sight of God.”

Wait—suffering is “gracious”? That sounds crazy, right?

Think about what grace means. It’s a gift we don’t deserve but God gives anyway — like His love, forgiveness, and salvation.

And somehow, suffering is on that list, too.

Hard to hear, isn’t it? But here’s why: “For to this you have been called. Because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21)

Jesus went through it all — the mockery, beatings, and crucifixion — enduring everything to give us life.

When we suffer, especially for doing what’s right, we’re actually walking the same path Jesus walked.

Our suffering becomes a signpost pointing straight to Him.

When you’re going through tough times for your faith, when people make fun of you for believing, when life seems unfair — all of these moments connect you more deeply to Jesus.

They remind us of His suffering for us.

It’s like the devil tries to wreck our faith, but ends up just showing us more of Christ.

So next time life gets rough, remember: this painful moment is actually pointing us to Jesus.

It’s reminding you of His love, His sacrifice, and His promises.

And that, friends, is truly a gift of grace.

Steve Andrews Jr is pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee’s Summit, MO.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #jesus

If you have questions or topics that you’d like discussed on Higher Things, email them to content@higherthings.org

Subscribe to our channel to get notifications when we go live: http://youtube.com/@HTgospel4all

To support the work of Higher Things®, visit https://higherthings.org/morehi/giving/

For more information about Higher Things, go to http://higherthings.org
——
Join the conversation on Social Media:

http://facebook.com/higherthings
http://instagram.com/higherthings
https://www.tiktok.com/@higherthings