When I was in the sixth grade, my friend Felix dared me to try to beat his record of sit-ups. I had no idea what his record was, but since he challenged me in front of the whole class, my manhood was on the line. And in the sixth grade, manhood is very important. So without having any information, I accepted the challenge. Felix then proceeded to demonstrate his prowess by tying his record – 200 sit-ups! Somewhere around the 50 mark I started to regret my decision to accept the challenge.
Then it was my turn. At first it wasn’t that difficult, but then I started to tire out and it started to get a little painful, so I focused on what was surely ahead: the cries of adulation that would stream from my cheering classmates. And I made it. I blew by Felix’s record and set a new record of 222 sit-ups! Suddenly all the guys in Mrs. Clark’s homeroom surrounded me, giving me slaps on the back and congratulating me, including Felix.
I couldn’t move the next day.
I had no idea what was wrong. I had pain in my entire abdomen. Mom wanted to take me to the doctor. Then my wise father asked me if I had done anything unusual the day before. That’s when I learned about muscle pain after exercise. But that pain had bought me some gain. And at school, as I told all the guys how sore I was, it just made the glory of holding the class record even sweeter.
In Peter’s first letter, the apostle tells us something very important about our painful experiences. He says that as we go through trials, one thing that will help us to keep going is to focus on the rewards that will come after the trial is over. We can keep going if we keep our focus on what’s ahead.
First, let’s look at how Peter opens this letter:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV)
These were some of my grandmother’s favorite verses. Now and then she would recite this passage, and then she’d remind me that we each had an inheritance waiting for us in heaven. She’s experiencing hers now. That passage is simply incredible news for the believer. More on this in just a moment, but for now let’s focus on the fact that when this life is over we will spend eternity with Christ. Then Peter says this:
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV)
He says, “in this you rejoice,” so go back and read verses 3-5 again. When we as believers go through painful experiences, we should take our minds off of our difficulties long enough to look toward what’s coming next. Amid the hurt, we can rejoice that one day we’re going to be rescued from this life of sickness and tragedy and pain. One day all of our fears and problems and concerns will be a thing of the past. One day we are going to be in the presence of Jesus. We can get through anything if we just keep our eyes on the prize.
Another thing we can do is to focus on the fact that our faith is being made stronger through the process. Just as muscles are strengthened through exercise, so faith is strengthened through difficulties. Gold is made much more valuable through the fiery process of being refined, and our faith can become stronger and stronger as we pass through the fires of life. That means that the next time we face difficulty, our faith will be even stronger than it was this time.
As our faith grows, our ability to face difficulty grows. I want to get to the end of a painful time and know that the next time trouble comes, and it will come, I’ll be able to handle it better than I did the previous time. I need to be able to handle it better next time. But there are no shortcuts for strengthening our faith, it’s only strengthened through trials. It actually does take pain to gain.
Notice in verse 6 that Peter uses the words, “if necessary.” Why does he say that? He’s reminding us that, as believers, any trials we face are allowed by God, and when we face difficulties, it’s because he has deemed them to be necessary. They are part of his plan and design. For unbelievers, pain can feel unfair, unwarranted, and senseless. The Christian, however, doesn’t go through pain with that kind of hopelessness. We’re different because we know that there is a reason, there is a purpose, and that purpose, even when we can’t see it or understand it, is always good.
There’s one more thing we can focus on in our pain. One day we are going to stand before Jesus, and because our faith has been strengthened and proved genuine through the trials of life, we’re going to receive “praise and glory and honor” from him! Yes, we’ll give praise and glory and honor to Jesus, but one day, and let this sink in, he will give praise and glory and honor to us! In all that we have been through, all the pain, heartache, frustration, tears, and disappointment, our faith has grown stronger and is proved to be real, and one day we’re going to see Jesus look at us with a smile on his face and say, “Well done my good and faithful servant!”
No one wants to go through difficult days, but in this life they’re inevitable. We have an incredible Savior who loves us and promises to be with us through each one of them. If we’ll focus on the fact that our faith is being strengthened, and that one day all of the pain will be gone and we’ll receive honor from Christ, we won’t simply struggle through the pain, we’ll truly live through the pain.