1 Peter 4:19 - Trust

“So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

The final verse of Chapter 4 gives us the final commandment of Peter’s 10 Commandments: Trust yourself to God. A good word to end on… here are Peter’s Commandments:

I. "Thou shalt be of sound judgment"
II. "Thou shalt be of sober spirit for the purpose of prayer"
III. "Thou shalt keep fervent in your love toward one another"
IV. "Thou shalt be hospitable"
V. “Thou shalt be good stewards of God's gifts"
VI. "Thou shalt speak the words of God"
VII. "Thou shalt not be surprised at fiery ordeals"
VIII. "Thou shalt not be ashamed to suffer as a Christian"
IX. "Thou shalt glorify God in the name Christian"
X. "Thou shalt entrust thy soul unto God"

There is a scene in Band of Brothers where a chaplain is walking through the city streets comforting and administering last rites to wounded soldiers. Not out of the ordinary for a chaplain, except that he is right in the middle of a huge battle; snipers are picking off people left and right, exploding shells are showering everyone with debris, and the chaplain walks from person to person calmly doing his ministry. How could he do such a thing? Because he trusted himself to God and continued to do good.

That may be an extreme example, but it illustrates this text perfectly. In the midst of a world that is often hostile to Christians, we have two choices: we can hide behind the church walls and become completely irrelevant in our communities, or we can be bold, trust ourselves to God and continue to do the good God has called us to do.

Persecution is coming – trust yourself to God. People will ridicule you – trust yourself to God. You are being judged – trust yourself to God. An opportunity to be hospitable has been thrust upon you – trust yourself to God. Do you want to make an impact on God’s Kingdom? Trust yourself to God.

As I get a little older (just a little mind you), I am more interested in spending my time working for things that have eternal significance. The only way we can do anything of eternal significance is through the direction and power of the Holy Spirit. We must, must, must trust ourselves to God for this day and every day that God gives us afterwards.

Where is your trust today? Are you placing your trust in your family, friends, or finances? Do you trust your own intelligence or creativity? Do you simply trust that everything will magically work out for you? Or are you actively putting your trust in the God who created the heavens and the earth in the confident expectation that He will keep His promise and fulfill His good plans for you?

I would go with that last one if I were you…

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.” – Matthew 19:29