WHY ME?

Why Me?

1Peter 4:12:  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.

                                                                                                                                 

The exclamation of the phrase ‘Why Me’! generally implies one is going through difficult times or situations. It is the phrase that easily comes to mind when unexpected circumstances come our way.

However, this is a phrase which should easily be exclaimed from the lips of Christians today as of yesterday, but for Jesus.

Peter’s Letter

Peter wrote this letter to comfort Christians at the time because they were going through violent opposition from all quarters, especially Rome. They were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. Emperor Nero was persecuting Christians so terribly- blaming them for his ills. Should Christians resist or flee? Should they tone down their outward signs of faith as some are doing today to be accepted by the world or create false peace or give up? Therefore, Peter’s letter is a word of comfort to the suffering Christian today as of yesterday.

Today’s Christian

Today, although things seem deceptively ok, Christians are being arbitrarily killed, imprisoned, insulted, falsely accused and sometimes maimed for their faith in Jesus Christ. Some of these atrocities start in the name of mere conflicts but the underlying agenda is to target Christians.

In going through these situations or trials, we ask ‘Why Me’? Oooh Why Me? Where is the God who promised He will never leave me or forsake Me. ‘Why Me’? Why does God allow it? Can good result? Does God care?

Suffering should not catch us off guard!

Why you suffer

·        You suffer because you are a Christian. Because you obey Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 3:12 says that: ‘You, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution’. A sinful world does not appreciate godliness and react by inflicting physical and mental suffering upon the saved (see 1Peter 4:1-5). Do you remember Lot in Sodom?

·        By Physical body, the Christian is in the world where there is disease, death, accidents, etc.

·        Satan, our arch enemy, causes suffering- see I Peter 5:8, Job 1, Matt. 10:32

Nature of our sufferings/ trials

The Christian sufferings come in various forms and even harder and complex as you grow in the Lord and you resist as it comes. These can be:

·        Manifold trials- hardships, depravation, difficulties, etc (see 1Peter 1:6)

·        Fiery trials- deadly and destructive in nature (see 1Peter 1:7, Lk 12:50, matt. 26:39). Eg. Is during Emperor Nero’s reign when Christians were torched as light or thrown to lions.

·        Temporary trials- these trials occur for a moment (see 2corin. 4:17, 1Peter 5:10, 1Peter 1:6)

 Value of suffering- Why you should not give up?

Our suffering is for our refinery. It is for our discipline in righteousness. The trials or sufferings:

·        Reveal or test the true nature of our faith in Jesus Christ (Gen 22:1,2; 1Peter 1:7; James 1:2-3)

·        Arouses us to greater service in the Lord (Ps. 119:67-71)

·        Enables us to help others who suffer (2corin. 1:3-4)

·        Opportunity for us to let others glorify God by our good works in suffering (1 Peter 2:12)

Examples

Our trials and sufferings as Christians are temporal (1Peter 1:6, 5:10) that is why we should not give up at all. 

Remember:

·        Peter- who was imprisoned but the prison gates were opened by the glory of God.

·        Paul- on his dangerous missionary voyages.

·        Job- when he lost everything as a righteous man who trusted God.

·        John the Baptist- who had his head cut off for speaking against the unrighteous.

·        Jesus Christ- nailed to the cross for no apparent reason but it was for our salvation.

·        Lot- enduring the persecutions to his soul due to ungodliness at Sodom but was saved from the destruction.

• Noah- living righteous in the midst of unrighteousness.
• Shadrach/ Meshach/ Abednego- overcoming the fiery furnace, that Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged God.
• Elijah- after crying ‘why me’ through frustration, was fed by birds.
• Joseph- made a savior for his family after being sold by his siblings, accused wrongly and imprisoned.

The list can go on and on and on.

You will suffer

Yes, you will suffer for being a true Christian because it is part of the Christian discipline:

·        You will suffer because the Lord wants you to show forth His glory.

·        It is you because God wants you to testify about His mercies.

·        God wants you to testify that He has the power to heal that sickness you are suffering.

·        God wants you to testify that He gives Children to the barren.

·        That He is a miracle working God.

·        That when all hope is lost, He is the God who gives hope to the hopeless; peace to the weary and He binds up the broken hearted.

Conclusion

·        It is important to develop and maintain the hopeful attitude of a Christian in the midst of suffering

·        Rejoice because of the heavenly reward (Matt. 5:11-12).

·        Your light is shinning for men to see and glorify your father which is in heaven (1Peter2:12)

·        It is temporal so endure it.

Are you getting weary already? It will soon be over. Stop crying ‘why me’ and rejoice at the storm. Amen!