Has this happened to you? You did something right and ended up being punished as a result.
Here is the entire Scripture passage:
For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But when you do what is right and suffer for it, if you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.” (1 Peter 2:20 nasb)
Patiently enduring unjust suffering finds favor with God? Seriously?
You mean like “No Good Deed Ever Goes Unpunished?!” Are you kidding me! Isn’t God supposed to make my Christian life easy and comfortable?”
That’s what most “young” Christians believe. In reality, unjust suffering is a key part of the pathway to a righteous, God-centered life.
Here is one of the most practical applications of a biblical principle:
When you are blind-sided by unfair attacks, give your grievances to God.
Your natural inclination is to strike back. But God says, “I saw that. I know all about it. But there cannot be two judges on a case. Turn it over to Me. I’ll be the judge of it.”
You say,“But Lord, what they did is not fair!”
To which God replies: “True, it is not fair. Now… trust Me that I will judge it fairly… and let it go.”
As soldiers train for battle, allow God to train you with His Word, for spiritual warfare. There will be many opportunities. If you fail at first, don’t feel defeated. Strengthen your resolve. As in playing music, practice makes perfect. The difficulty is: like a pie in the face, you don’t see grievances coming. In the past, you reacted according to worldly ways. Choose the higher road instead: give your grievance to God.
Paul wrote:
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)
It’s not that those who oppose you are evil, but the demons trying to work their “divide-and-conquer” strategy on you are evil. Don’t listen to those lies from hell. Decide right now to choose God’s strategy instead: forgive, and release it to the court of Heaven. Allow God to be the judge, and He’ll give you His Grace — His favor!
Injustices happen in life. God’s Word urges us to take the high road and give those injustices to Him, rather than handling them ourselves. This is not natural; it’s supernatural!
Prayer: “Holy Spirit, thank You for the power to persevere and change. Now that I realize that patiently enduring unjust suffering finds favor with God, I’m beginning to see that every unfairness is a test. I know that I am “laying up for myself treasures in heaven” (Mt. 6:20) when I release my grievances to You. It’s not natural; it’s supernatural!”
- Jan
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This article is good. It is a blessing to me today.
Hey Jan , thank you for this article. This is exactly what i needed right now. I believe god is truly using you to help others like myself. I have had a long spiritual journey and at times i feel God and the Devil are playing a spiritual tug of war with me. God is winning and he will always win. Thank u for sharing this.
Hey Savannah, thanks for taking time to comment. You are right about that “tug of war” thing. Best thing to do then is give it to God. Don’t look for justice in this world. Not gonna happen, right? Keep smiling!
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