Big Idea - We live in a world where it seems everyone has become a victim. There is real suffering in the world, and many suffer very real pain and abuse. But never in the history of the world has an entire society embraced trauma like the modern Western world. In an insightful New Yorker article, “The Case Against the Trauma Plot,” Parul Sehgal writes, “In a world infatuated with victimhood, has trauma emerged as a passport to status—our red badge of courage?” In such a climate, almost any life event can be experienced as trauma. Kevin DeYoung writes about this and asks, "Why is everyone in such a hurry to be hurt? Many people suffer at the hands of others. The world can be unfair, at times mercilessly so. Millions of people in the world are genuine victims right now. All of us will be at some point, whether it’s for small matters or large, for a long duration or short. But we aren’t all victims, not all the time anyway, not for everything. Offendedness is just about the last shared moral currency in our country. And I’m sorry, but it’s really annoying." He argues that in many cases people choose to be offended and take the role of a victim as a way to manipulate others. "For starters, being hurt is easier than being right. To prove you’re offended, you just have to rustle up moral indignation and tell the world about it. Or, we demand apologies. Sometimes, no doubt, because a genuine sin has been committed. But often, we demand apologies just because we can. It’s a way to shame those with whom we disagree." In a world where all of society has embraced the idea of suffering and trauma as a way to gain status and identity, that is, we have come to shape our very sense of who we are as victims of everything, how are we to read and understand passages like 1 Peter 4 that call us to a life of suffering. Is Peter saying that being a Christian is all about becoming a victim? We will suffer, and there is nothing we can do about it - we are just victims, and we are called to a life of unhealed trauma? As we study this passage, we will see that Peter has a very different idea about suffering, and the last thing he is calling us to is to take on the role of a victim! Suffering is part of life, not only for Christians but for everyone. Peter shows us how we can suffer well and, at the same time, rise above it as more than just victims. Instead of post-traumatic stress, we can experience post-traumatic growth.
Peter begins by connecting suffering in the world as a part of God's judgment. Peter likely lived to see the total destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. This would have been seen as an apocalyptic event marking the end times, as prophesied in the Old Testament. In this light, the world's destruction and suffering are identified with God's judgment on the nations. But, the house of God, the Church, is not exempt from suffering under times of God's wrath. Peter’s point is that everyone suffers, but what matters is not who suffers, but how it ends. For God's people, suffering ends in salvation. But, for the ungodly suffering does not end at all! When we suffer, it is important to remember that if we are in Christ, our suffering only lasts for a moment, and then we will experience the salvation of God. Peter then tells us how we can face suffering, not as a helpless victim traumatized by it, but as those who can face suffering head-on with courage. First, we must ensure we are suffering for the right cause. We need to live for God's purpose and suffer for His glory and for doing good, not because we sin and make bad choices. We can face hard things with courage when we know it is for the right reason or purpose. Second, when things get tough, we need to place our whole life in God's loving care with the faith and confidence that He is a good and loving God who is willing and able to take care of us and save us in the end. He is a faithful Creator who is more than worthy of our trust. We do not suffer alone, but God is with us, and we need to learn to experience His faithful presence in the midst of all our life, but especially in suffering and trials. Finally, we need to focus on the mission and not the suffering. The mission is to love God, love people, and seek His Kingdom. When we set our minds on serving God and loving others no matter what the circumstances or difficulties, the sense of mission and purpose keeps us moving forward rather than getting stuck in our problems and pain. In the end, taking on the role of a victim is very self-focused, and we can easily begin wallowing in self-pity, feeling sorry for ourselves, and expecting others to do the same. But, when we focus on loving others and are committed to the cause of Christ, it lifts us above our problems and gives us something to fight for instead of getting stuck. These four attitudes as we face suffering will give us the courage to face suffering head-on and grow through trauma rather than being overwhelmed by it. But waiting until the crisis is upon us won't work. We must practice these habits daily when things are going well so that it will be our natural reflex, our trained response when calamity or hardship strikes.
