“For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:17).

Doing the will of God is not always the easiest thing to do, but it is always the right thing to do–the highest thing to do, and the best thing to do. Doing God’s will may bring discomfort, difficulty, persecution, rejection, suffering, or hardship. But God doesn’t want us to stop doing His will. He expects us to hold on to His unchanging hand, even in great sorrow, rejection and persecution. He wants us to forge ahead and do good –regardless of our situation.

Jesus told us that we would suffer because of Him, but be of good courage,  He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Even though there were those who despised and rejected Him, He never stopped doing the will of His father. He never stopped helping the helpless, loving the unlovely, and doing good to all. He wants us to follow in His footsteps and Love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them which spitefully use us, and persecute us;

The apostle Paul is a perfect example of one who has suffered severely for Christ. Yet, he never wavered–he held on to God’s unchanging hand right to the end. In 2 Corinthians 11:24-28 he testifies about his many sufferings: “. . . I have been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, ²⁶ I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. ²⁷ I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. ²⁸ Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Believers let us keep our eyes on the prize, like the apostle,  and do good regardless of our circumstances. God bless you.

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