The Weekly Perspective
by Burke Shade, Associate Pastor
“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. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” — 1 Peter 2:21—23
The words of Jesus are instructive for us after the recent election. No matter how you voted or what you espouse in terms of political views, we dare not revile others if they revile us. Our Lord did not do that and neither should we. We should remain steadfast, kind, and worthy listeners of others. We don’t strive with muscle but with gospel persuasion.
But this should be true in other areas as well. It’s easy for faithful believers to be reviled over a whole slew of issues, whether homeschooling, modest dress in clothing and grooming standards, teaching our children respect for seniors and others, self-discipline, corporal punishment, six-day creation, the Bible as infallible truth, sexual purity before and in marriage, courtship, private charity, biblical counseling vs psychological secularism, etc. The list could go on and on. We are different from the world and we shouldn’t shrink back from that-we follow the Lord Jesus where he leads.
The world needs us to be different, for they have no answers and no hope without Christ. They are confused; we are not. Let us be the light.
So let us not revile, but let us love and lead and show the world the way forward in kindness with resolute firmness, entrusting ourselves to our Heavenly Father. He will sustain us even as he did his Son.