Wednesday, January 24, 2018

January 24 Thought for the day...bringing hope


So many questions today, so much anger in the world so many hurting and without hope. What is a Christ-follower supposed to do to change their world?  Peter gives us a bit of wisdom about this subject.

"Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it." 1 Peter 3:15

We are the true deliverers of hope to a hopeless world. The phrase translated here "always be ready" really means -  be prepared, be eager, anticipate people wanting to ask. In our world, it generally is not until a person is in enough pain that they change. It is not until they are fed up with life as they know it, that they are willing to seek a different way of living and looking at life. Apart from Christ, most people will come to a very broken, wounded, hopeless place. Peter by using the word "asks" really means "craving," for what you have in you. When we live a life full of the Holy Spirit people will crave what we have.

Peter's challenge to us is that we would understand our hope, our joy, our relationship with the Lord so well, that at any moment, we could explain it. The word used here as "explain" means to have a ready defense prepared, always to know what to say, to have prepared statements about why and what you believe. If your life is full of the life Jesus promised, it should be an easy task.

Peter is preparing us so that as the Lord is always working in the hearts of people, they should see by your life, a difference that they crave. As they see this difference, they will be drawn to ask you about it. As Christ-followers we should always be ready, prepared, schooled, in an understanding of how to share about our faith, to bring hope to others.

No comments: