“So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should COMMIT{Entrust} themselves to their faithful Creator and CONTINUE to do good.”-(1 Peter 4:19}
Suffering according to the will of God affords us two opportunities from this verse…
1. – Expressing LOVE TO GOD!
How? By choosing to “Entrust your soul” to Him. “Entust,” is a Banking term. The idea is to have “deposited” their souls into God’s trustworthy Bank. Though we cannot see the Creator we can trust Him, and we entrust ourselves into His hands who created the heavens and the earth and caused the lights of sun, moon, stars and galaxies, causes the birds to fly in the expanse of the Heavens ans upholds all things by the power of His Word. All around us we see His handiwork and the heavens which declare His glory! -{Read Genesis 1 and Psalm 19:1}.”Entusting” is a present imperative which means this is to be our lifestyle! “Paratithemi means to entrust or commit for safekeeping with the implication that one was committing to another with confidence. It can convey the idea of investing or charging someone with a duty or responsibility. It can convey the idea of putting something into the care or protection of someone. This is very similar to use of paratithemi in classical Greek to describe anything being deposited with a friend for the purpose of safekeeping.”-{preceptaustin}
By choosing to TRUST Him in your suffering and with your suffering you are expressing LOVE TO GOD. As He has said “He who keeps My commandments LOVES ME!”{ John 14:21}. And your choosing to turn and entrust yourself to Him you are LOVING GOD!
2. – Expressing LOVE TO OTHERS!
How? “…Continue to Do Good.” Note he does not say to them start to do good but says “continue” as they already are choosing to do good to others!
In times of “suffering according to the will of God…” we see it is all about relationships! Our relationship with God and with Others! And in both relationships it is a LOVE RELATIONSHIP- Love to God and Love to Others. and it comes down to a CHOICE!
The Scriptures we see, does teach, there is a “Suffering According to the Will Of God…” and in it we have TWO OPPORTUNITIES…. LOVE GOD…. LOVE OTHERS… Your suffering need not be in vain!
Hard to think but in “suffering according to the will of God…” there are two glorious opportunities- to Love Him and Love others!
COMMIT .. and CONTINUE…
Keep Trusting Him, Keep Doing Good to Others! –