Thriving In Jesus
“The Cross Alone Is My Burden To Bear” -The Suffering Christian
For a long time, my perspective of Christianity was one of suffering.
I believed God wanted me to suffer. I mean, don’t the best lessons come from suffering? Aren’t heroes made in the flames of the fiery furnace? The dungeons of lions?
During my first year as a Christian, I remember having the deep-seated conviction that God didn’t want me to write. Writing was what I enjoyed and what I was good at. I couldn’t fathom a good reason as to why God would want me to do something I enjoyed. Wouldn’t it take me away from Him? Aren’t we taught that God is a jealous God? Although I continued to write, I still had this nagging belief that writing was solely a guilty pleasure.
Fast forward to now, eight years later (by His marvelous grace), I am learning that yes, God is a jealous God AND He is okay with me enjoying good things, as long as those don’t become an idol. And He will help keep those idols away, if I let him.
I know I’m not alone in this belief. There are many, specifically those of us who are more sensitive and guilt-ridden, that believe God doesn’t want us to enjoy good things. We still think Christianity is a walk of deprivation. We envision ourselves AS Jesus. Everyday of our lives is our very own journey to Golgotha. All joy, passion, sin, and good in the world is nailed to the cross as we wait to be reborn and transformed through our very own self-induced suffering. We self-abase. We are experts at penance. We are Frodo in the midst of Mordor.
Lighten Up Buttercup
This is all a lie from the enemy. Yes, God calls us to die to ourselves daily. But since God is good and he gives good things, he isn’t calling us to die to good. Good things aren’t always sin! God gives and has such good things for us that he longs to share. The Bible is chock full of them. Christianity does consist of suffering but that suffering is always meant to result in joy. What is more, not all of Christianity is suffering. It is not a lifestyle of deprivation and martyrdom.
It is actually a lifestyle of abundance (no this isn’t a prosperity gospel). But the Christian has an abundance of spiritual blessings and that’s exactly what I’d like to share with you. For the sake of this series of posts, I’m going to focus solely on 1 Peter Chapter 1 to share the abundance of God and the possibility of thriving in Jesus.
For the Christian, I hope this encourages you. For the non-believer, I hope this persuades you.
- Preference: God’s Elect (1 Peter 1) “To those who are elect…”
One of the most pressing issues that plagues our world today is people want to know who they are, they want to be important, they want to be special. Christianity does not erase identity; it accomplishes it. In 1 Peter 1, he describes the Christians that he was writing to as God’s “Elect”. In the Greek this word means: eklégomai, “to select, choose,” – properly, selected (chosen from, out of), especially as a deeply personal choice – literally “chosen, out of a personal preference (intention).”
In other words, when we choose to listen to God, we become those intentionally chosen out of preference. This means God prefers us, prefers you! And all human beings have this choice. So as Christians, our identities are founded on the fact that God has intentionally chosen us. This is who we are. This is our standing with God.
- New Birth “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again…”
I’ve sinned a lot in my life. I’ve hurt people, I’ve hurt myself, and I’ve hurt God. And the thing sinners need most is a second chance. A reboot. This is what God has given us through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ death has given all of us the chance to be transformed and made into new, different creations, ones that are being continuously transformed into his likeness! (Which was God’s original plan after all.) And this new life allows us to have…
- A Living Hope: “…living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
Since Jesus was raised from the dead and our hope is in him, we never have to be hopeless while we are here on earth. One of the reasons for this hope is because our lives are literally (and spiritually) wrapped up in Christ and he never fails us. What this means for me is that my hope doesn’t have to be in my success as a teacher, being a perfect Christian, being a perfect friend-daughter-sister-aunt-girlfriend. My hope no longer relies on me and that is such a comfort. Now, my hope is in the one who is unending, perfect, never-changing, trust-worthy, and alive. As Christians we have a living hope because Jesus is alive and WELL and more than willing to save us again and again.
- An Inheritance: “…to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,”
When I think of an heir, I think of old-timey books like Jane Austen or George Eliot or Henry James when people either already have wealth or inherit wealth. This wealth is usually land or a house and carries an air of dignity with it. My knowledge of what the bible means by our inheritance is limited but I do know that it points to the generosity of God and His abundance. Knowing that He has an inheritance for me because I belong to Jesus helps my heart to trust in his riches and not the riches of this world. What God has to offer exceeds what we can gain in this life.
- Protection: “…who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time”
One of the most wonderful things about being in Christ is the full protection that we have. This doesn’t mean that nothing bad or evil will ever happen to us but it does mean we can trust God’s protective hand over us. He protects us so that we make it to heaven with Him. We can trust Him to do this. I find this satisfying because it helps me to take the pressure off of myself and focus on allowing God to do his job.
It’s Time To Thrive
These are just five blessings that come as a result of thriving in Jesus. It is my hope to continue to delve into more of what God has for us when we are in Christ. Life with Christ is the biggest and most important commitment that any human being can make. Such a commitment comes at a great risk and a great cost. Yet God never calls us to give up what He won’t exceedingly replenish. He wants us to grow, more than grow, He wants us to flourish in Him. I’m learning to lean into this truth more and more. Won’t you join me?
Love and Light,
Kourtney Naomi
