George, age 92, and Jane, age 89, were all excited about their decision to get married. They went for a stroll to discuss wedding plans, and on the way, they passed a drugstore. The elderly couple entered the store where George asked to speak to the owner.
“We're about to get married,” George informs him. “Do you sell heart medication?"
"Of course we do," the owner replies.
"How about support-hose to help with poor circulation?"
"Definitely.”
"What about medicine for rheumatism, osteoporosis, and arthritis?" George continues.
"All kinds," says the owner with confidence.
"How about waterproof furniture covers and Depends?"
"Yes, sir."
George asks, "Hearing aid and denture supplies, and reading glasses?"
"Yes."
"What about eye drops, sleeping pills, Geritol, and Ensure?"
"Absolutely."
"Do you sell wheelchairs, walkers, and canes?"
“All kinds and sizes,” the owner replies. “But why all these questions?"
George smiles proudly and announces, "We'd like to use your store as our wedding registry."
George and Jane were getting prepared for the trials they knew were coming.
In the same way, it is good for all of us to prepare for the trials to come. The Bible says, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). And Jesus Himself said to his followers, “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). Dear friends, if you choose to follow Christ, former friends will harass you, people will persecute you, and you WILL suffer for it in some way.
The question is: How do you get ready for that kind of suffering? How do you prepare for the harassment that’s coming? How do you face the hardships it takes to have a life that matters for Christ? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to 1 Peter 4, 1 Peter 4, where the Bible addresses a group of people who are beginning to go through such persecution.
1 Peter 4:1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin... (ESV)
This verse pictures a soldier getting ready for battle. He arms himself with the proper equipment and weapons necessary to win the battle. Well, as those involved in a spiritual battle, you need to arm ourselves as well. Only, you don’t arm yourself with guns and swords, no. You arm yourself with an attitude that says, “I’m ready to die for Christ if that’s what He calls me to do.”
Christ came to this earth in the flesh prepared to die in order to save us from our sins, and you must come with the same kind of mental preparation.
SO ARM YOURSELF WITH CHRIST’S ATTITUDE.
In your minds, be ready to suffer as he did.
When Ronald Reagan gave his first inaugural address, he made reference to the simple white crosses that mark the graves in the Arlington National Cemetery. He said:
“Under one such marker lies a young man, Martin Treptow, who left his job in a small-town barber shop in 1917 to go to France with the famed Rainbow Division. There, on the western front, he was killed trying to carry a message between battalions under heavy artillery fire.
“We are told that on his body was found a diary. On the flyleaf under the heading, ‘My Pledge,’ he had written these words: ‘America must win this war. Therefore, I will work, I will save, I will sacrifice, I will endure, I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone.’” (From Ronald Reagan's first inaugural address, January 20, 1981; www.PreachingToday.com)
Martin Treptow had armed himself with the right attitude, so he was ready to give his life for his country. In the same way, you too must arm yourself with the right attitude. You too must mentally prepare to suffer like Christ did, and that starts with a choice.
So choose right now to be done with the old way of life. Choose right now to forgo an indulgent lifestyle. Choose right now to…
ABANDON YOUR SIN.
That’s what it means in verse 1 when it says, “Whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” That is to say, when a believer suffers because of his or her commitment to Christ, that believer has made a choice. That believer has made a choice to be done with sin. That believer has made a choice to cease living a sinful lifestyle in order to live according to God’s will.
1 Peter 4:2 ...so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. (ESV)
The one who suffers for Christ has made a choice. Like Moses, “choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25).
Dear friends, it’s time for you to make a choice, as well. It’s time for you to choose whether you’re going to follow Christ and experience mistreatment, or follow your evil, human passions and have a little fun for a while. If you call yourself a believer in Jesus Christ, it’s time to make a choice…
1 Peter 4:3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. (ESV)
What will your choice be? Will you choose to be done with that old way of life? Will you choose to be done with the drinking parties and sexual promiscuity? Will you choose to be done with a lifestyle of sin, which will only destroy you in the end? As a believer in Christ, you cannot ride the fence anymore. So what will you choose to do – to party or to live for Christ? If you choose to live for Christ, you must choose to be done with sin.
One of my favorite movies of all time is a movie about the life of John Forbes Nash, Jr. The movie is called A Beautiful Mind, and it traces the life of this genius mathematician and Nobel Prize winner, who is also tortured by paranoid schizophrenia.
At the peak of his career, his psychotic delusions forced his wife to admit him to a mental institution, where doctors used shock therapy and various medications to try and help him overcome his schizophrenia. His delusional world all but disappeared, but the medicines left Nash unable to think, care for his young son, or be intimate with his wife.
So, with his wife’s help, he determined to get off the medications and discipline his mind to ignore the delusions it fed him. Eventually, he was able to resume his teaching career at Princeton University.
Then, in 1994, Thomas King (from the Nobel Committee) met with Nash to assess his mental state and determine if he would be a suitable Nobel prize winner. In their conversation, Nash says to King tongue in cheek, “I AM crazy.” Then more soberly, “I take the newer medications, but I still see things that are not here. I just choose not to acknowledge them. Like a diet of the mind, I just choose not to indulge certain appetites” (A Beautiful Mind, Dreamworks, 2001, 2:08:00 to 2:08:30, directed by Ron Howard, written by Akiva Goldsman; www.PreachingToday.com).
That’s the attitude you must have if you’re going to face the hardships it takes to have a life that matters for Christ. Like a diet of the mind, you must choose not to indulge certain appetites, which are only passing fantasies anyway.
If you’re going to face the hardships it takes to have a life that matters for Christ, arm ourselves with His attitude, choose to abandon your sin; and…
EXPECT ABUSE.
Anticipate harassment from people, especially those you used to party with.
1 Peter 4:4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you... (ESV)
Literally, they blaspheme you; they speak evil of you. They slander you, because they’re surprised that you refuse to join them in in their wasteful recklessness anymore.
Some time ago (2007), Mark Bellis, a researcher at the John Moores University in Liverpool, England, collected statistics on 1,064 rock stars from the United States and Europe. He studied rock stars that were popular in the 1950’s all the way to the beginning of the 21st Century, and this is what he found: Rock stars actually die much younger than the general population. The average age at death for American rockers was 42; for Europeans, 35. Partying, transportation accidents (DUI’s), and mental instability were the primary contributors to causes of death (“Rock Hard, Die Young,” The Week, 9-21-07; www.PreachingToday. com).
The partying lifestyle may be fun for a short time, but in the end, it is a reckless waste, and after that comes the judgment.
1 Peter 4:5 ...but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. (ESV)
People who waste their lives may be critical of you for your commitment to Christ, but there is coming a day when they will have to stand before One whose criticism really counts. You see. in the end, it doesn’t really matter what your friends think of you. Only what Christ thinks of you makes any difference at all. So expect criticism from people, but remember that their critical remarks crash and burn in the end.
When people look at a masterpiece of art and criticize it, that says more about the critic than it does the art. Think about it. How can anybody criticize a Rembrandt or a Michelangelo? If they do, it just shows their ignorance. In the same way, when people criticize a follower of Christ, it only shows their ignorance.
You see, when you came to faith in Christ, God began to create a masterpiece in you. The Bible says, “We are His workmanship – his poema, his masterpiece – created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10). So when people criticize what God is doing in your life, it says more about them than it does you or the God, who is re-making you. Such critics demonstrate gross ignorance, so ignore their remarks.
In 2017 the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes from Texas Tech. In 2018-2019, his second season, Mahomes led the team to the AFC Championship game. Then in 2020 he led the Chiefs to their first Superbowl win in 50 years. His performance in the biggest game of the season earned him the title of youngest Superbowl MVP. Some sports analysts even suggested that Mahomes has the potential to become the “Greatest of All Time.”
This was a significant change from how they felt just a few years earlier. After the Chiefs drafted Mahomes in 2017, a writer from USA Today gave the Chiefs a C- grade for selecting him. The writer proclaimed:
“Calling Mahomes a project is a major understatement. He’s nowhere near ready to play in the NFL. And, honestly, he may never be. Between his inconsistent accuracy due to poor mechanics, his tendency to bail from clean pockets and his lack of field vision, he’s going to leave as many big plays on the field as he creates. This was a risky pick” (Joel Thorman, “2017 NFL draft grades for Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes are all over the place,” Arrowhead Pride, 4-28-17; www.PreachingToday.com).
Being a Kansas City Chief’s fan, I am glad that Mahomes ignored that criticism. He just played the game despite the critics and excelled. You do the same. Just do what God calls you to do despite the critics.
Anticipate some harassment, to be sure, but don’t let it stop you. Keep on following Christ and ignore that person on the sidelines, who makes critical remarks, even though he or she has never been in the game. If you’re going to face the hardships it takes to have a life that matters for Christ, arm ourselves with His attitude, choose to abandon your sin, expect abuse; and finally…
ANTICIPATE APPROVAL FROM GOD HIMSELF.
Look forward to the day when the Lord affirms your commitment to Him. Wait with an eager expectation of our Lord’s appreciation.
1 Peter 4:6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. (ESV)
In this context, “those who are dead” are those who have died as martyrs for their commitment to Christ. They heard the gospel, responded to it, and people judged them by killing their bodies. However, before God, their spirits are very much alive! While people condemned them to death, God’s approval gave them eternal life.
Now, that’s what every believer can anticipate, so look forward to that day. Look forward to that day when you will hear our Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21,23). It will help you remain faithful to Him when you hear otherwise from some of the people around you today.
Sean and Liegh Anne Tuohy, the real-life couple portrayed in the movie Blindside, share the following story in their book In a Heartbeat:
There is a little-known congressional program that awards internships to young people who have aged out of the foster care system. These are kids who were never adopted and are no longer eligible for state support.
[A senator] employed one such man as an intern. One morning the senator breezed in for a meeting and discovered that his intern was already in the office, reorganizing the entire mailroom. The senator said to the intern, “This is amazing – the mailroom has never looked so clean. You did a great job.”
A few minutes later the senator saw that the intern had tears streaming down his face. [He] said, “Son, are you okay?”
“Yes,” the intern answered quietly.
“Did I say something to offend you?”
“No, sir.”
“Well, what's wrong?”
The young man said, “That's the first time in my life anyone's told me that I did something good.” (“How Little It Takes,” Men of Integrity, November/December 2010; www.PreachingToday.com)
In this world, there are so very few people that will tell you that you did something good, but there is coming a day when you will hear that from Jesus Himself. As followers of Christ, you can expect unbelievers to be critical, but you’ll never hear that from Christ. He will reward even a cup of cold water given in His name, so look forward to that day; look forward to that day when you’ll be alive with Him forever! It will help you make it through today.
If you want to face the hardships it takes to have a life that matters for Christ, arm ourselves with His attitude, choose to abandon your sin, expect abuse, and anticipate God’s approval. Then you’ll be able to live a life worth living, a life that makes an eternal difference as you live it for Christ despite the hardships that come.
A daughter complained to her father about how hard things were for her. "As soon as I solve one problem," she said, "another one comes up. I'm tired of struggling."
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen where he filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second, eggs, and in the last, ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
The daughter impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After a while, he went over and turned off the burners. He fished out the carrots and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl. He poured the coffee into a bowl. Turning to her he asked, "Darling, what do you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled, as she tasted its rich flavor.
She asked, "What does it mean, Father?" He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity—boiling water—but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg was fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. By being in the boiling water, they changed the water.
He asked his daughter, "When adversity knocks on your door, which are you?"
I would ask you the same question: When adversity knocks on your door, which are you? Like the coffee, use adversity to change your world as you depend on Christ.
