Rejoicing and Grieving

Today's reading: 1 Peter 1:1-12

"So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while." - 1 Peter 1:6 NLT

There is so much jammed into this verse (and the entire 12 verses of today's reading). Again, this may be troubling to many of us who weren't notified that "many trials" are necessary for spiritual growth.

Peter is encouraging these suffering Christians to be "truly glad." How could they be glad when they were heavily persecuted within the Roman Empire? They could be glad because their trials would lead to testing, and testing would show that their faith was strong and pure. The fires of trials are revealers of our authenticity as believers in Jesus.

Scot McKnight writes that "Peter sees in suffering a situation from which the believers can learn and grow."

Us being 21st Century Americans, we would never (outside of a funeral service) use the words "rejoice" (agalliao - to experience a great state of gladness) and "grieve" (lypeo - state of sadness) in the same sentence. Yet the first century Christians were experiencing these realities side by side, keeping a view toward their heavenly destination.

We would do well to imitate their examples!