I was a Boy Scout when growing up. The motto of the Boy Scouts is “Be prepared.” Although it is not a motto that should be exclusive to the Boy Scouts. Peter reminds us as Christians to always be prepared to make a defense for anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you.
We never know what tomorrow will bring. We never know when the opportunity might present itself to share our faith and our hope in Christ. There is so much hopelessness and despair in this world. Drugs are a terrible problem in so many communities and families. So many people turn to drugs and alcohol out of hopelessness. Funerals are often filled with a desperate search for answers. There is conflict in marriages where the relationship is left on the brink. Or a job is lost and people wonder how they will make ends meet.
These are all everyday situations. Every person will confront grief, illness, conflict, or death at some point in their life. Some people will face those valleys in faith. Other people will face those valleys with hopelessness. If you are a believer you know that Christ will walk with you through that valley. Sometimes the person you need to share the hope you have is yourself. It is easy to forget that Jesus is with you and that he is Lord of all.
But many times, you may need to point someone else to the hope you have. When you share, do so with respect. You can’t make someone else believe. That is God’s work. But what you can do is to share your hope and share why you believe. No one can argue your experience because it is your experience.
dominique bovard says
amen