“Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.”
in doing good
The words “doing good” mean to benefit others. Helping others is how God accomplishes what we commit to him. God will do something useful with our lives when we deposit them with him.
By doing good, no matter the circumstance, we live according to the challenge of Christ,
Lk 6:27-28, “But I say to you who hear: ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.’”
Lk 23:34, “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ And they divided His garments and cast lots.”
Remember Stephen’s example,
Ac 7:59-60, “And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
PRINCIPLE:
Proper orientation to others is a way to recognize the acceptance of God’s sovereignty in our lives.
APPLICATION:
It is easy to allow persecution to become an excuse for wrongdoing, and it becomes simple to excuse deviance because of the difficulties in our lives. Often people enter apostasy because of trial that comes their way out of rebellion against God.
Confidence in God’s plan for our lives, no matter what we may face, is a sign of a mature understanding of how God works. An understanding of the sovereignty of God about pain is the only ultimate answer for “why” things happen to us.
