Are You Being Attacked and Reviled? This Word is for You! Part 2 of 3

If you are being reviled in this season, if there is someone in your life that is just dead set on persecuting you and bullying you or slandering you and falsely accusing you, if there is someone that is just trying to make your life as hard as possible or hurt you in whatever way that they can, then this word is for you from God. This is part two of how God tells us to respond to this. In 1 Peter 2 is God telling us how to live godly lives even in a pagan society. So 1 Peter 2:17 says, "Show respect for all people, which in their original language, respect means treat them honorably, value them, and revere them.

Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, and honor the King. Then jump to verse 19. It says, "For this finds favor. If a person endures the sorrow of suffering unjustly because of an awareness of the will of God." And in the original language, this means a conscience impressed, controlled, and governed by the idea and notion of God's existence and power.

And so understands that griefs are to be born according to God's will. Then verse 20 says, after all, what kind of credit is there if when you do wrong and are punished for it, you endure it patiently? But if when you do what is right and patiently bear undeserved suffering, this finds favor with God. Or another translation says this wins God's favor for us.

To patiently endure suffering unjustly here means to bear bravely and calmly, have fortitude and persevere. Verse 21 says, "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." So many of us want to know exactly what we are called to by God. So many of us want to live out our life calling in God. And so many of us want God's favor.

But we clearly see over and over again in scripture that if we respond by respecting and honoring all people and if we bear undeserved affliction and persecution as he has called us to. That is what wins us favor with God. That is what his will is in scripture. If we follow Christ's example in how he endured suffering and mistreatment and affliction and how he treated his persecutors, that's when we find the favor of God.

He never once struck back or tried to control. And I recently saw a post that said, "This season isn't about defending your name. It's about honoring his." And I thought that was so good. But I want to leave you with the truth that as believers that have submitted our lives to him for his glory, that is not seasonal.

It is actually never about defending or protecting our own name. It is entrusting that to him for him to do that. And it's always about us honoring his name. If you need help responding this way in your everyday life with knowing how to endure in this way and persevere and understanding this at a deeper level, the links for my coaching and the links to my ministry are in the caption below this video.

And don't forget to share this with someone who needs encouragement.