But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect… (1 Peter 3:15, ESV)
The first part of our vision at our church is to KNOW Jesus. Knowing Jesus is about more than simply knowing about Jesus. It is knowing Jesus like you know a friend. It is knowing him as your Savior. It is to experience his grace and allow for him to pour hope into your life.
When you know Jesus, things change. Your outlook on life will change. Your ambitions will change. Your interactions with others will change. People will want to know what is different about you. You will have a different perspective than most people in this world.
Peter tells us to always be ready to give a defense when someone asks us for the reason for the hope that we have. What is it that causes you to have a positive view of life and the future when there is so much dread in this world?
One of the ways that we can be best prepared is to write it down. Do you know your testimony? The best defense is simply to tell your story. People can disagree about the facts of the Bible. They can disagree about fine points of theology. But what they cannot agree with is your experience. It is your experience and no one can take that away from you. No one can argue with what brings you peace and hope.
A great blessing to having a testimony is that it strengthens your faith. It recalls God’s faithfulness in your life. We tend to be forgetful. It is good to be reminded of God’s past faithfulness to give us greater confidence in his present and future faithfulness.
You have a story to share. It’s time to make it known.
Reflection
- Write down your testimony. Share how your experience as a follower of Jesus has given you hope.
- What do you think it means to make a defense with gentleness and respect? How can we be more gentle and respectful when we have disagreements?
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for changing my life. Thank you for the hope that you give to me. Thank you for making yourself known to me, so that I can know God. As I think about my story, give me the words to to share my hope with others. Help them to see your presence in my life. Amen.
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