Expected and Prepared

1 Peter 4:12, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.—————Life would just be so much easier if we didn’t have to deal with problems; if we could avoid suffering at all costs. In fact, most of us, given the option would pray for such things to be removed from our lives rather than having to deal with them.—————While that all sounds good, it is unrealistic. In his book, Eating Problems for Breakfast, author Tim Hansel wrote about dealing with problems in life, “Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional. We cannot avoid pain, but we can avoid joy.” In short, pain, difficulty, and suffering are going to happen, what if we prayed instead for the strength to endure such things and for joy in spite of them. It might radically change the way we face each day. We wouldn’t have to go out of our way to seek out suffering, but we could be better prepared for dealing with it.—————Hansel went on to say, “One of the ways that our faith expresses itself is by our ability to be still, to be present, and not to panic or lose perspective. God still does his best work in the most difficult of circumstances.” Join us Sunday as Frank shares from 1 Peter 4 about this very concept of expecting suffering and being prepared to respond to it, so Christ might be glorified through our circumstances.