Suffering for Doing Good
Scripture
Suffering for Doing Good
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good;
they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:8-18)
Reflection
A man works overtime at the office to save up for an anniversary celebration, only to have his wife accuse him of not spending enough time with her. Well-intentioned actions sometimes lead to unexpected reactions; we are reminded of the idiom “No good deed goes unpunished.”
Is it really true that no good deed goes unpunished? In 1 Peter 3:13, Peter asked, “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?” It almost sounds like a reversal of the expression above. When we look at Scripture, a more accurate assessment in life is that no godly suffering goes unnoticed. Peter furthered his question with a statement:“…even if you should suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed” (v. 14).
In today’s culture, to be blessed usually has to do with having nice things, a healthy family, or everything going well. One of the most common hashtags on social media is #blessed. When someone types this hashtag, it’s usually to post about a new car, a completed certification, or other achievements and accomplishments.
For followers of Jesus, to be blessed is to be made happy—happy as they are Christlike in their attitudes and actions—when they do what is right, no matter what the cost. Matthew 5:10 reminds us that we are blessed when we suffer for doing what is right: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” God makes us happy when we do his will—he blesses us.
In this season of Lent, let us be encouraged as we do what is right—in unity with one another, sympathetic and loving, with compassion and humility.
Prayer
Father in Heaven, thank you for your promise of blessing when we suffer for doing what is right, for a happiness that the world can never know without Jesus. In his name, Amen.
2024 Lenten Journey
Adrian Brown