As Was Necessary

Americans, including Christians, are spoiled. We have a tendency to complain about everything when we have more than most of the world. As Christians we also complain when we face trials of various sorts, whether it is an illness or job loss or wayward children or ridicule from non-believers. We have a tendancy to want to lay blame at someone's feet or have God make it all right, right now. And we don't even say please.

When the apostle Peter was writing to those scattered from Jerusalem across the Middle East because of severe persecution - kill you in horrible ways persecution - he told them, "...[God] has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the 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 1:3, 6-7

Their persecution was necessary. It was not necessary because they were not living up to God's expectations and they were being punished. It was not necessary because God didn't really love them and adopt them as His children. It was not necessary because God took some perverse pleasure in making people suffer. It was necessary to test the genuineness of their faith. 

Jesus told a parable about a sower (Matthew 13:1-9) whose seed was scattered across various soils. When asked for an explanation of this parable Jesus said of the seed scattered on rocky soil, "As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately falls away." Matthew 13:20-21

Genuineness of faith. No one wants to go through really hard experiences but maybe it's God's way of telling us and the world, "You are mine!" Because we are His we can give praise and glory and honor to Jesus for His faithfulness even in our most difficult circumstances.