1 Peter 4:14 - Glory and Insults

“If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

Do me a favor and read the second half of that verse again. And one more time…

Can you comprehend that statement? The Spirit of glory and of God rests on those who are insulted for following Jesus. One more time, the SPIRIT OF GLORY AND OF GOD RESTS ON YOU – can you imagine? The God who created the heavens and earth is willing to settle His glory on you and me. Unfathomable…

If you are like me, you often miss statements like this because you read the bible like you read the back of the cereal box. You are mildly interested, but honestly, you aren’t really interacting with the text. Every dotted “I” and crossed “T” in the bible is God’s word to us – it has the power to transform our lives – if we will pay attention to it.

Slow down and tune in when you read the bible. Turn off your music and the TV, sit and be still as you read. Allow time for the words that you read to soak into your heart; the words will change from a collection of letters to life-giving sustenance. God speaks in a still, small voice which means we have to be diligent to hear Him.

Back to the verse at hand; nobody likes to be insulted. If you live your life for Jesus – out in the open where people can see – you will be ridiculed and made fun of by somebody. Following Jesus is counter cultural; and the culture mocks those who live differently. The fear of that causes many of us to keep our faith quiet and in the background. We turn off the lights to our city on the hill and we hide our lamp under a bushel.

But, what if you focused your attention on God’s reaction to the insults instead of on the insults? Would you be willing to endure ridicule if it meant God’s Spirit would rest on you? Shoot! I still wouldn’t enjoy the insults, but the promise of God’s glory makes them much easier to swallow. I think I could put up with most anything if the end result was that God’s glory would rest on me. What about you?

We forget that God knows what is going on in our lives, that He sees everything we do and everything that happens to us. I think we also forget that He is a giver of good gifts and that He will reward us for being faithful to Him. We are not left to fend for ourselves – God is engaged and active in your life – whether you realize it or not.

Are you interested in having the Spirit of glory and of God rest on you? Then live your faith out loud and in the open, love others with abandon, care for the poor and needy in Jesus’ name, and be willing to endure insults for living that way. Do that, and God guarantees His very Spirit will rest on you. Sounds like a good deal to me…

“A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.” – Proverbs 12:16