Following in His Steps

1 Pet. 2:21

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.

Our calling is one of suffering. Since Christ suffered for us, we must follow in His steps, steps that are hard and painful. Previous to verse 21 Peter explains how it is a gracious thing in the eyes of God when we endure sorrow when suffering unjustly. How counter to our thoughts and our flesh is that! When we suffer unjustly, we want to rise up and proclaim loudly the injustice. We want to cry out to our friends and convince them of our innocence. But this is not the way of Christ. Everything that Christ endured was unjust! Yet He endured graciously. 

Following verse 21, Peter explains in detail how Jesus suffered graciously, and Peter would know, he was there! Jesus suffered without committing sin, without reviling in return, without threatening or seeking to return evil for evil. How could He do this? Was the strength coming from a source within Him? No, in verse 23 it says, He continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly. He let God handle it! For we know who said, Vengeance is mine, I will repay. And again, The Lord will judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  [Heb. 10: 30-31] God is a far better judge than any man could ever be, yet we care so much what man thinks of us. We are so fearful of what man can do to us. Why this need for human vindication? Shouldn't we care more how God sees us? 

Jesus trusted His Father. He knew that God would be true to His word and to His character. Whatever God asked Him to do, He was willing to do. He is our example of trust. God asks us to trust Him as well. Even though we might not understand or enjoy our calling of suffering, can we trust Him? Can we trust that He knows what is best for us? Can we trust Him to enable us to endure sorrow? He doesn't ask us to suck it up and tough it out. No, He asks us to depend on Him, His strength and His grace. Through His power, we can endure sorrow when suffering unjustly. Through His power we can follow in Jesus' steps. Through His power we can entrust ourselves to Him who judges justly. 

Father,

Fill me with Your grace and power to endure sorrow and follow in the steps of Jesus. Help me to entrust my life into Your hands realizing that I might not understand why until I am in heaven with You. I love You Lord. Thank You, Jesus for walking these steps of suffering and sorrow. You are my Savior and my Lord. 

In His name,

Amen