One Person at a Time...

Psalm 23 Video!

You'll love this little girl's recitation of the 23rd Psalm!

Suffering for Doing Good...

In 1 Peter 2:20b, the Apostle Peter wrote, "But if you suffer for doing right and are patient beneath the blows, God is pleased with you." Peter actually wrote those words to slaves, bu the principle applies to all of us.  Our culture tells us to avoid pain and suffering at all costs.  God's word teaches that suffering can be redemptive, because God uses it to forge our character and draw us closer to Him.  I don't know who you are as you read this post, but I know this: suffering is part of your reality.  It may be the suffering of circumstance--an illness, a loss or an accident, which has caused physical, emotional or spiritual pain. It may be the suffeirng that comes as a consequence of our actions--suffering for doing good OR for doing evil.  Suffering for doing evil doesn't gain us any credit with God. It CAN help draw us to Him, because negative reinforcement generally moves us away from whatever causes it, and in this case can move us to God.  Sometimes suffering comes as the consequence of doing good.  When we stand up for what is right and true others may ridicule us.  You could get fired from your job.  You may even endure physical suffering.  God's word reminds us that if we endure any of those things, Jesus endured more.  To find out more about the value of suffering in our lives go to yesterday's message titled, "The Path of the Cross Leads to Life" at http://www.newlifexn.org/web/articleid/31292/columnid/3667/articles_view.asp