Presence Weekly: Valuing Experiences Differently than Others
1 Peter 4:1-6 "Living Differently with Yourself" (Part 2 of 3)
Welcome to another edition of our weekly and locally-famous: devotional, prayer guide, curated reading and podcast links, events calendar, and of course, the Two Thumbs Up! recommendation of the week.
[First Things]
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[The Devo] Valuing Experiences Differently than Others
4 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. 1 Peter 4:1-6
As we have seen, living differently with ourselves is produced by a new set of values which are the product of appropriating the Paradox of Identity (Lesson 1) and the “theme verse” of 1 Peter, which we have repeatedly referenced:
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9
Our new identity as elect exiles who are residents in the kingdom of his marvelous light, while still living on earth, prompts us to value our time, our experiences, and our relationships differently. All three are deeply interrelated. Last week, we looked at the implications of valuing time differently. This week, we shift our focus to valuing our experiences differently.
Suffering and Experience
Like its impact on our valuation of time, suffering plays an influential role in how we value experiences. Peter makes that connection clear in his opening statement, “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.”
Contrary to the highly appealing, but empty, messages of Joel Osteen, Paula White, and other heralds of the prosperity gospel, identification with Christ cannot be measured using a scale based upon the expectation of diminished suffering. Jesus, the Son of God, with whom the Father was well pleased, did everything right and said everything right, in every situation, all the time. He healed the sick, proclaimed liberty to the captives, gave sight to the blind, provided wine at weddings, fed the hungry, brought loved ones back to life, showed dignity to outcasts, and encouraged virtuous behavior. Still, people frequently walked away from him, his family considered him crazy, and, because the religious and political establishment both wanted him dead, he was falsely accused, arrested, convicted in a sham trial, tortured, humiliated, and executed.
History suggests that Peter was executed by being crucified upside down. In Revelation, we learn that the Apostle John has been exiled to Patmos. Acts 12:1-2 records that the death of James, an apostle and brother of Jesus, was killed by the sword on the orders of King Herod.
The Apostle Paul details his own gospel-provoked suffering in 2 Corinthians 11:16-33. In Acts 28, a book which details the expansion of the church and Paul’s instrumental work in planting churches, ends with him in a Roman jail. There, after summoning the religious leaders, they respond with these words,
“We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.” Acts 28:21–22
Why are Christians suffering physically, emotionally, relationally, vocationally, and culturally instead of ot living lives of ease and luxury? Peter answers this question by inviting his readers to “arm themselves with the same way of thinking” about the connection between obedience to Christ and experiencing suffering.
One last note, when Peter states, “whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,” he is not conveying that suffering in the flesh is proof of having ceased from any sin, but that pleasure-seeking sin ceases to be the motivating factor in decision making, which is testified to by suffering.
Suffering and Pleasure (aka Human Passions)
Suffering comes both from the presence of actual hardship and also the absence of accolades that stem from obedience.
“If it feels good, do it” became the mantra of America’s countercultural movement of the 1960s and early 1970s, which brought a rise in recreational drug use and the sexual revolution. For many Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers, it is easy to point a finger at the decay and decadence of culture while longing for the more wholesome days of old. But we should not presume that this is something new. The pursuit of human passions at the cost of obedience has always been part of every human’s hard wiring. The problem is not the pursuit of pleasure, but the intentional decision to avoid suffering that might come from obedience to the Law of God.
Last weekend, I attended my 40th high school reunion. Of the 81 people in my graduating class, over 50 made it back for our celebration. High school is a case study in pursuing human passions over suffering. At the moment, participation in bullying, mocking, and social-outcasting behavior of classmates to maintain your 11th-grade social status appears as an irresistible, overwhelming, and surprisingly easy choice. For the person on the socially-endowed high side of the power-differential, the results bring pleasure that can last throughout high school, but for the one on the downside, the damage can linger for years. Suddenly, loving your neighbor as yourself brings a devastating verdict.
The choice of pursuing an office affair over faithfulness to a spouse who no longer “does it for you” and padding the expense account rather than paying for the meal with your friend with your personal funds is no different than dodging a reporter who is trying to confirm if you used racially disparaging language at a dinner party.
The public square often whispers the rewards of human passions through self-promotion, brand building, and power consolidation. It is also cruelly efficient at suddenly placing that same person in the white hot spotlight of the career-ending news cycle when it’s done with you. As Christians, the time for making decisions based on such a fickle and flawed paradigm is over, and has been replaced by the gospel-assured promise,
According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:3–7
Suffering and Worship
Peter’s argument also includes the assertion that Christians should always choose worship of God over worship of idols and the self. To make his point, Peter points to Jesus, reminding his readers that “Christ suffered in the flesh” as he was living a life committed to worshiping his Father. While the public square presents enticements to worship poll numbers, committee assignments, fundraising prowess, our rescue from sin and its penalty of death, by Christ, sets us free from such exhausting efforts of satisfying our human passions. Instead,
“[Y]ou yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5
For the Christian, the public square becomes a multi-faceted and ever-changing stage for the worship of God through vocational efforts guided by our ideological and evangelical formation. Servants and leaders working in government agencies, policy centers, think-tanks, lobbying groups, and on the Hill are offering spiritual sacrifices as they encourage what is good, restore what is broken, create what is missing, and oppose what is evil. While this worship produces blessings for individuals and flourishing for communities, the choices and methods used can also bring suffering when they are dissonant with the prevailing culture.
Living differently with ourselves requires valuing our experiences differently. We value our experiences based on their value as worship of the God of steadfast love and faithfulness, not on the amount of pleasure they produce or suffering they allow us to avoid.
Application Questions
Based on this lesson, are there particular areas of your life that prove harder to value obedience over avoiding potential suffering?
In your work as a servant or leader in the public square, consider a particular situation in which you experienced suffering as a result of prioritizing worship over human passions. What was it about your decision that produced the suffering?
Considering that same situation, how was God glorified through your actions?
[Faithful Prayer]
Cabinet Agency: The servants and leaders working in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as they implement the administration's policies regarding the federal workforce throughout the Executive Branch. Specifically for the overwhelming workload ahead following the recent Supreme Court decision.
Think Tank, Lobby group, NGO: Servants and leaders working for the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) to defend and advance the earned pay and benefits of America’s civil servants.
Weekly delegation: For the congressional delegation of Michigan
Agency News: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently announced “the modernization of its FedScope platform, a widely-used resource for accessing data about the federal workforce. The agency is reimagining how it shares this data with the public, with a goal of making information more accessible, timely, and useful for researchers, policymakers, and the American people. As a first step, OPM has published updated employment, accessions, and separations data through March 2025 on the existing FedScope website. In the coming months, OPM will launch a newly designed platform featuring interactive visuals, detailed datasets, and tools tailored to answer the most frequently asked questions about federal employment.”
Personal requests: For a wonderful and talented senior policy expert who just turned 40 (you know who you are!). For a couple working in Washington who are taking a weekend away. For a couple hoping to close on a house without further difficulties. For a couple who are traveling on vacation. For a senior advisor who has a “mountain of messes” to deal with this week.
[The Page, The Pod & The Stack]
READ this FIRST → The Gospel Coalition has a piece offering a Biblical perspective and guidance in addressing the terrible destruction of life and property in Texas, “In the Aftermath of the Texas Floods, Keep Watch with the Suffering.”
LISTEN to this FIRST → The Being Known Podcast has an extremely helpful episode detailing the obstacles in repairing ruptures within relationships, The Limits of Repair: Discernment, Boundaries and Hope.
Read this Next →First Things has an essential read on tech, transhumanism, and AI, by Michael Tuscano, “Automating the Human Mind.”
Christian Scholars Review has a delightful and insightful essay that examines Marvel and DC Comics storylines through the lens of one of the greatest Christian fantasy authors, “Theologically Navigating Cinematic Multiverses with C. S. Lewis.”
[What’s Happening?]
This Week
Tuesday, July 15, 10:00 - 11:30 am, The Center for American Progress hosts an online event, Democracy on the Line: Global Lessons on Countering Authoritarianism, for a critical conversation on what it takes to defend democracy.
Wednesday, July 16, 8:30 am - 11:00 am EDT, the Progressive Policy Institute hosts the Future of Antitrust Conference, an in-person event to hear from leading antitrust, business, legislative, and academic experts to explore how antitrust will navigate key issues.
Thursday, July 17, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm EDT, The Brookings Institution will host a hybrid event, The House Financial Services Committee agenda: A conversation with Rep. Maxine Waters, for a discussion of the numerous changes coming to financial markets.
Thursday, July 17, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm EDT, 9:00 - 9:30 am EDT, Hudson’s Center for the Economics of the Internet hosts a hybrid event, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on AI, Online Safety, and Data Privacy, to speak about pressing digital safety issues facing Congress.
Thursday, July 17, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm EDT, 5:00 - 7:00 pm EDT, the Acton Institute hosts an online event, The Meaning of Work: What Skilled Trades Can Teach About Forming Workers of Character.
Friday, July 18, 1:30 - 2:30 pm EDT, The Trinity Forum hosts An Online Conversation with Beth Moore to discuss her memoir, All My Knotted Up Life.
The Live! Concert Series is back for another summer of great music from 12:00 - 1:00 pm EDT weekdays on the Washington Plaza. Next week’s schedule includes:
Mon. 7/14: Downtown TUMBAO, Latin World Music
Tues. 7/15: Shane Gamble, Country
Wed. 7/16: DC Starlight Orchestra, Big Band Jazz
Thurs. 7/17: The Tribe Band, R&B
Fri. 7/18: Northeast Groovers, Go-Go
Next Week
Tuesday, July 22, 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM EDT, the American Enterprise Institute hosts an in-person event, Meet the Stars: Screening the FREE Initiative’s Mini-Documentary Films.
Wednesday, July 23, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT, CSIS presents a hybrid event, Rising India and the Prospects for India–U.S. Economic Ties, for an important discussion on the future of India–U.S. economic ties in a changing global landscape.
Thursday, July 24, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT, the Urban Institute hosts a hybrid event, The Past, Present, and Future of Credit Scores in Housing Finance, for a data-driven, evidence-based discussion on the evolution of credit scores in the housing finance ecosystem.
Thursday, July 24, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm EDT, The Institute on Religion and Democracy hosts an in-person event, the July Christian Realism Social Hour, to partake in drinks and smart Christian Realist conversation with friends.
Thursday, July 24, 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm EDT, the Cato Institute presents their annual Libertarianism vs. Conservatism Intern Debate, as they explore which philosophy offers better solutions to today’s pressing public policy challenges
Friday, July 25, 12:00 - 1:00 pm EDT, Faith & Law’s Friday Forum presents, Politics and Sausage Making with Mark Strand,
The Live! Concert Series is back for another summer of great music from 12:00 - 1:00 pm EDT weekdays on the Washington Plaza. Next week’s schedule includes:
Mon. 7/21: Joey Antico Collected Sound, Jazz
Tues. 7/22: 8 OHMS, Pop
Wed. 7/23: Max Rosado & 7th Street Band, Salsa
Thurs. 7/24: Pebble to Pearl, Pop/R&B
Fri. 7/25: Deni Starr, Classic Rock
Saturday, July 26th, 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm EDT, you can take in the DMV Made Festival, a family-friendly festival that celebrates the DMV community with multiple stages featuring performances, arts, poetry, and storytelling pavilions, interactive dance & creative arts workshops, family-fun zones, and a health & wellness pavilion to keep the community strong.
[Two Thumbs Up!] Summer Baseball!
The All-Star game was played last night. The second half of the baseball season begins tomorrow.
The Washington Nationals are having a bad year. So are the Baltimore Orioles. But, as a result, prices for good seats at home games are often $25 or less! If you haven’t been to a game in a while, there are some important changes to the game that have produced a much more fan-friendly game.
The National League, home of the Washington Nationals, has finally adopted the “Designated Hitter” in place of the pitcher swinging away and hoping for contact. This has increased offense and kept good pitchers in the game instead of being replaced by a pinch hitter in a tight spot. Pitchers also now face a pitch clock that limits the painfully slow cadence of many hurlers. Hitters, likewise, are limited in the number of times they can step out of the batter’s box. Both of these moves have created more action and sped up the game.
Then there is the food! In addition to the ballpark staples of hot dogs, cold beer, and Cracker Jack, ballparks now have food trucks from local restaurants, specialty foods like crab cakes and shrimp tacos, not to mention a very nice selection of microbrews. The new parks also have areas for kids to play, and there are always fan-friendly activities between innings.
The Nationals are home this weekend against the Padres. On Saturday, the first 20,000 fans receive a Nationals basketball jersey! The Orioles are on the road right now but back in town on the 25th to face the Rockies.
If you have ever wondered how baseball and economic theory are linked, here’s a quick primer.
[Last Things]
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