"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15b
As the coastal areas prepare for another hurricane season, many people will begin storing up water and canned food. They'll check to make sure their generators are functioning properly and they'll stock up on batteries and flashlights. If and when a storm is approaching, many people will flood the local grocery stores to buy bread, milk, and eggs. For some reason, people must like to eat French toast during a hurricane!
The weather forecasters get all psyched up whenever there is even the smallest tropical storm that could possibly brush our coastline. They have special weather commercials prepared that begin playing on the television that promote their expertise in tracking and forecasting prior storms.
Preparing for the hurricane season is almost exciting. It gives people something to talk about and the hype of a potential storm is contagious. However, come November as the season winds down, I think we're all ready to put another hurricane season in the books, especially if it was uneventful. We can sit back and relax and start using all of those batteries and jugs of water that we purchased in June.
Even if the first hurricane never approached the shore, those preparations weren't made in vain. They were made with the likelihood of needing to be put to use at some point in time over the previous six months.
For the believer, we don't have the option of approaching our faith like we do the hurricane season. We can't choose to be prepared to defend our faith for a mere six months out of twelve. Peter advises us in our focal verse to "always be prepared" to speak up and defend our faith.
Peter doesn't tell us that we should be standing on street corners and blasting Bible verses through megaphones. On the contrary, his advice is based on the assumption that the hope that we possess is naturally going to make a radical difference in our lives and people are going to notice that there is something different about us. He presumes that people will automatically be drawn to us and will question what causes us to be so hope filled.
It's during those beautiful moments that we get to share the reason for our hope. We get to tell them that the love that was shown to us on the cross gave us an opportunity to become a new creation. We get to speak of the amazing grace and mercy of Christ and how He took my place and paid a sin debt that I could not pay.
This natural approach to evangelism is almost always more profitable than revival services or any pricey evangelistic program that a church could purchase. When we begin to live out the love of Christ without even realizing it, that's when we will have the biggest influence on the non-believing world.
Our nature should almost flabbergast the people we meet. If Christ has truly made us a new creation, then people will be confused by the transformation that has occurred in our lives and their natural response will be to question what makes us tick.
Has anyone ever been intrigued by your demeanor or persona and therefore asked you what made you different than everyone else?
If you were to be asked, are you prepared to share the reason for your hope?
Whereas we make preparations for temporary events like storms, vacations, and weddings, we never get finished with the task of making preparations to defend our faith. We're on a lifelong journey with Christ and the effect He has on our lives should be overflowing to the people we come in contact with. Let's be ready to speak up for Christ and give Him all the glory for who we are in Him.
As the coastal areas prepare for another hurricane season, many people will begin storing up water and canned food. They'll check to make sure their generators are functioning properly and they'll stock up on batteries and flashlights. If and when a storm is approaching, many people will flood the local grocery stores to buy bread, milk, and eggs. For some reason, people must like to eat French toast during a hurricane!
The weather forecasters get all psyched up whenever there is even the smallest tropical storm that could possibly brush our coastline. They have special weather commercials prepared that begin playing on the television that promote their expertise in tracking and forecasting prior storms.
Preparing for the hurricane season is almost exciting. It gives people something to talk about and the hype of a potential storm is contagious. However, come November as the season winds down, I think we're all ready to put another hurricane season in the books, especially if it was uneventful. We can sit back and relax and start using all of those batteries and jugs of water that we purchased in June.
Even if the first hurricane never approached the shore, those preparations weren't made in vain. They were made with the likelihood of needing to be put to use at some point in time over the previous six months.
For the believer, we don't have the option of approaching our faith like we do the hurricane season. We can't choose to be prepared to defend our faith for a mere six months out of twelve. Peter advises us in our focal verse to "always be prepared" to speak up and defend our faith.
Peter doesn't tell us that we should be standing on street corners and blasting Bible verses through megaphones. On the contrary, his advice is based on the assumption that the hope that we possess is naturally going to make a radical difference in our lives and people are going to notice that there is something different about us. He presumes that people will automatically be drawn to us and will question what causes us to be so hope filled.
It's during those beautiful moments that we get to share the reason for our hope. We get to tell them that the love that was shown to us on the cross gave us an opportunity to become a new creation. We get to speak of the amazing grace and mercy of Christ and how He took my place and paid a sin debt that I could not pay.
This natural approach to evangelism is almost always more profitable than revival services or any pricey evangelistic program that a church could purchase. When we begin to live out the love of Christ without even realizing it, that's when we will have the biggest influence on the non-believing world.
Our nature should almost flabbergast the people we meet. If Christ has truly made us a new creation, then people will be confused by the transformation that has occurred in our lives and their natural response will be to question what makes us tick.
Has anyone ever been intrigued by your demeanor or persona and therefore asked you what made you different than everyone else?
If you were to be asked, are you prepared to share the reason for your hope?
Whereas we make preparations for temporary events like storms, vacations, and weddings, we never get finished with the task of making preparations to defend our faith. We're on a lifelong journey with Christ and the effect He has on our lives should be overflowing to the people we come in contact with. Let's be ready to speak up for Christ and give Him all the glory for who we are in Him.
That is why I'm always happy to your devotions......it keeps me focused.....I'm sharing with my 5 ,8 , 10 yr olds.....at first I thought they may not understand ....then I realised its not up to me to decide that...the Holy Spirit will reveal to each what He knows they need....and its amazing what questions follow......and gives me new perspectives......praise God. Thank you Staci.....and by the way.......happy anniversary.......
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