1 Peter 4:12-15, 5:6-11

Dear friends, don’t be surprised about the fiery trials that have come among you to test you. These are not strange happenings. Instead, rejoice as you share Christ’s suffering. You share his suffering now so that you may also have overwhelming joy when his glory is revealed. If you are mocked because of Christ’s name, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory—indeed, the Spirit of God—rests on you.

Now none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or evildoer or rebel. ...

Therefore, humble yourselves under God’s power so that he may raise you up in the last day. Throw all your anxiety onto him, because he cares about you. Be clearheaded. Keep alert. Your accuser, the devil, is on the prowl like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith. Do so in the knowledge that your fellow believers are enduring the same suffering throughout the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, the one who called you into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will himself restore, empower, strengthen, and establish you. To him be power forever and always. Amen.

Smooth sailing – a sailor’s ideal day. Perfect wind, no white caps, beautiful blue sky overhead, trim those sails and set your course. I’ve experienced some days like that, and I’m sure you have also. I would guess that we have also experienced some choppy waves, no wind, with sails just hanging. Those are the days when anxiety rises, when we attempt to adjust the sails to catch some breeze that might come our way.  

Verse 1 of our passage states, Dear friends, don’t be surprised about the fiery trials that have come among you to test you. Rough waters are coming – they have come – and they will keep coming! The key is not that we are going to have stress free, anxious free days, it is how we face those times. It is how we zig zag through the waters to maintain composure and regain our course. It is remembering verse 14b, indeed, the Spirit of God – rests on you. We cannot make the bad situations go away. We can learn how to endure times of anxiety and stress. We can learn how to change our course to where we can rest in the Spirit of God and know that He is able and will walk with us through the times of trial.  

We would all rather have smooth sailing days yet be assured God is with us on those days that are not ideal. 

-- Rev. Hollie Tapley
Disaster response coordinator
htapley@greatplainsumc.org.

Prayer for Reflection