1 Peter 1:6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
One of the key themes of 1 Peter is given in this verse: suffering. Suffering is not a topic we like to think about and surely not go through. Suffering brings pain of different types: physical, social, psychological, and so on. We try to avoid pain for good reasons. Peter turns this natural response around and challenges his readers to rejoice through their suffering. The only way to do this is by tapping into the strength provided by God through faith. Faith is what sustains us through suffering. Peter notes that our earthly suffering is “for a little while.” It is not permanent. It will come to an end with the return of Jesus or our own death. We are short-sided, however. We only see what we experience in the moment. As Descartes said, “I think therefore I am.” We only know what we experience in our senses. Biblical religion, however, stresses that there is more to our existence that our feelings. Feelings are a huge part of our lives, but faith sends us deeper into the realm of spiritual matters. From this resource, we can have help dealing with our suffering.
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