I Peter 2:13, 18–19, 21

“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake… Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully… For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.”

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In a previous study of I Peter, three words kept surfacing again and again:

Submission. Service. Suffering.

These are not accidental themes. They form the pathway Peter lays before us for walking in the steps of Jesus.

At first glance, they are not attractive words. In fact, they may feel like burdens. But Peter reframes them through Christ—and in doing so, transforms them.

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Submission Reframed

Submission is not about losing dignity.
It is about right alignment.

When we submit “for the Lord’s sake,” we are not merely yielding to human systems—we are presenting ourselves to God and honoring His name within those systems.

Properly understood, submission is not humiliation.
It is worship in action.

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Service Redeemed

To serve as Christ served is never degrading.

If our service is anchored in Christ, it ceases to be about status, fairness, or recognition. It becomes participation in the life of Jesus Himself.

We are not diminished by serving.
We are conformed to Christ through it.

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Suffering Transformed

Peter speaks most sharply here: suffering wrongfully.

This is not suffering we deserve.
This is suffering that feels unjust, disproportionate, even unnecessary.

And yet—this is precisely where Christ meets us most clearly.

When undeserved suffering is connected to His suffering, it is no longer meaningless. It becomes a place of fellowship, formation, and even blessing.

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The Deeper Issue

The bottom line is this:

We belong to Jesus Christ—completely.

Everything we are.
Everything we have.
Every circumstance we enter.

Jesus Himself lived this way before the Father—and now invites us into that same life.

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Where This Meets Us

You will face moments when:

• You are asked to submit and feel resistance rising within you
• You are called to serve in ways that feel imbalanced or unseen
• You endure hardship that feels unfair or undeserved

In those moments, the first question is not outward—it is inward:

Where am I in relationship to the Master?

Return there.

• Submit yourself first to Him
• Let your service be rendered ultimately to Him
• Interpret your suffering in light of His suffering

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Walking Forward

To “walk in His steps” is not sentimental language.

It is a call to pattern our lives after His—in posture, in action, and in endurance.

When we do, something unexpected happens:

What once felt heavy becomes purposeful.
What once felt restrictive becomes freeing.
What once felt painful becomes meaningful.

And in that place—

we discover joy and freedom, even there.

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Reflection Questions (For Small Group Use)

1. Which of the three—submission, service, or suffering—do you find most difficult? Why?
2. How does reframing submission as “worship in action” change your perspective?
3. Where are you currently being asked to serve in ways that feel unseen or unbalanced?
4. Can you identify a time when suffering led to growth or deeper fellowship with Christ?
5. What would it look like this week to consciously “walk in His steps” in one specific situation?