For What Will I Suffer?

For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 1 Peter 2:20

For me, it is easy to think “If I am going to suffer, at least I did something to deserve it if I sinned.” I know that I deserve the suffering. More than once I have combatted the idea that if I just quit, the suffering would quit to.

Then I remember that regardless of whether I am doing well or sinning, even my “righteous deeds are like filthy rags” in God’s sight, so I deserve to suffer. However, because Christ paid the price for me, shouldn’t I be more inclined to submit to suffering for following His will? Not that Christ wants me to suffer; He freely gave His life and paid the debt for ALL my sins.

He suffered so I could be made righteous. I am called to follow in His footsteps. I know from past experience, people will follow where I lead. Am I leading them to Christ? Even if I suffer, doe my testimony lead them to the foot of the cross, to Christ? Or am I suffering and leading them to a life of sin and destructions?

This Scripture pretty much guarantees we will suffer in life. It says when you suffer. So the question is “We will suffer for our sin or for doing well?”.