Suffer The Laughter

“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.” 1 Pet. 4:15

You would think that what the Apostle Peter wrote here went without saying. In fact, I suspect that when some of us read this passage our eyes were first fixed on the reference to a murderer; followed next by thief. Our interest from that point on might have trailed off because we dismissed the relevance of those first two characterizations of the cause of suffering in our lives. Are we unlike the Pharisees in that respect? Upon closer examination, however, we might have too quickly discounted the suffering brought about by our evil doing, or coming as a result of our intrusion into the lives of those around us. Isn’t it amazing how the Devil lifts our eyes mid-sentence and we pick up reading farther along where the meaning is not so… what shall I say? Uncomfortable? Anyway yes, on the one hand, we are told to love our neighbor, but on the other, we are told to live in peace. I suppose the next question is, ‘Is it ever good that the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing?’ Ahem…

So, when is our suffering of the Lord? This morning when I read the Reverend Matthew Mead’s final sermon to his congregation, he gave three criterion that I believe are worth mentioning: (1) When truth suffers by our silence, (2) when our lives as lived will be a denial of Christ, and (3) when sin and suffering surround us and we cannot escape; except by running through it. In each criterion, please allow me to take the high road by saying that this post is directed to the sincere believer and convert in Christ. Thus, I believe that the Holy Spirit will confirm within each of us which criterion applies at any time. Of course, if we find that sin led us to the place that we are, then His Spirit will convict us to run; not walk in the other direction, and that hopefully to avert any suffering in our game of Sin and Consequence. However, if God in His chastening allows us to suffer as a result of our sin, this is not suffering on the account of our Lord. Strange as it may sound, His chastening is an assurance of His love, and in my mind and heart, peace can be found in any evidence of His grace; including a loving Father’s hand. Nonetheless…

There are times that we find that God placed us in situations where we are either privy to derogatory comments or false teachings about our Lord, or we may be asked questions about our faith in the company of atheists. Needless to say, we must break our silence and possibly suffer the laughter; possibly worse. This is true spiritual suffering. There are also times that we might find ourselves in a circumstance where we are caught up in an activity in which our continued participation would be contrary and a denial of our professed Lord and Savior. Whether or not those around us know we are Christ’s, we know. In those instances, we know we should leave, and in doing so, suffer the laughter or possibly worse. Why? Because people will ask why we are leaving, and at that point we must break silence. Lastly, there are times that we just find ourselves living in an evil day; amidst the harsh realities of divergent attitudes, wickedness, and conflict. This so often occurs in families where the bonds of human love keep us ever tethered to the post and as the ball we are whipped around and struck by every passing hand. Wound tight and then unwound; back and forth… O, God! Help me, help them! Have mercy!  Yes, in those times, we must run through it… we must run to Him; our grace and peace; all for a moment’s respite. This is when we cry out in the middle of the night, ‘Jesus never fails!’ How do I know this? I am ashamed to say that I know this because I heard my mother’s cry as she suffered from my own hand. Nonetheless, she prayed for me and God graciously answered.

Yes, there are times that we all find ourselves in a situation where we will suffer because we did not hold silence, affirmed Christ in our actions or conduct, or we remained steadfast and prayerfully faced our own Armageddon. In these instances, we can and should always rejoice with the Apostle Paul: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:38,39)

Suffer the laughter; possibly worse.

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