Be Ready To Give An Answer
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. -1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)
Be Ready To Give An Answer
Our testimony is the greatest witnessing tool we have as Christians. As others see us living out our lives they should be able to tell that there is something different in the way we act and react to situations.
- Do you remember when you asked Christ Jesus to become the Master of your life?
- Do you remember the details?
- Do you remember the day?
I am not sure the exact time or day I was saved, but I do remember the details. I was in my garden, angry at an old tiller, and I challenged God to prove Himself to me. Praise the Lord, He did! And I have been in love with Him ever since. Not for a second have I ever faltered from knowing what transition happened the day I asked God for forgiveness.
I’ve been blessed in every way: family, friendships, finance, and a promised future. Has every day been easy-breezy. No. Am I rich? No. Do I have any problems? Yes. But I know Who I belong to and I know what my future beyond this world holds for me. God, the Creator of the Universe, chose me to be adopted into His heavenly family. I’m a daughter of the King. I’m a co-heir with Christ. He has set me in the heavenly places and is building me a mansion to live in one day. Whatever happens this side of glory cannot discourage me from what waits on the other side.
Our Hope Is Built On Jesus
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name
The hope that lives in us is strengthened by our heart’s desire which is found in Matthew 6. Verse 33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” The things we need in life, like money, clothing, food, and shelter, are what everyone is scrambling to obtain, but we have a heavenly Father Who provides these things. Matthew poses this scenario: the birds don’t plant, sow, reap, or harvest, and yet they are provided for by the Father. “Are we not more valuable?” he asks. And of course, the answer is Yes!
No Worries-Be Happy!
We will always have physical needs. There will always be bills to pay, clothes to have, food to eat, and places to live. But our worries should not be engulfed in these necessities of life. God has promised to “supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
One year my husband, the sole provider of the family, fell off a ladder and broke his arm. It was four weeks before Thanksgiving, which I had hosted every year since the beginning of time. I grabbed up my three-week-old baby girl and one of her teenage sisters to take along to the hospital (I was nursing and who knew how long we would have to stay).
He ended up having to stay overnight because the break was so severe. But I had to get back home to the other five children we had left behind. As I left the hospital, surprisingly, I felt such a peace come over me that I almost felt guilty. I kept hearing the words from Psalm 50:10- “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills”. The cattle on a thousand hills belong to God! I had no reason to worry about provisions for our family because that was for God to provide, we belonged to Him! There is a song about that verse, and my daughter and I sang it all the way home that day.
Although I did ask someone else to do the Thanksgiving that year, we ended up with three or four turkeys given to us. God also provided money, clothing, and a lot of food. As I was writing this post, I was reading Psalm 50 and when I got to verse 23 it blessed my heart. “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” #liftedhands!
God is good! All the time. And if you don’t know that, then you don’t know God.
Here’s the thing
Does God have a place in your heart? Do you have Him snuggled away deep down in a corner so no one can see Him? Or does the light that He created in you shine like a radiant beam, which you can not hide?
God longs to be a big part of your life, the most significant part. When we sanctify God in our hearts, we make a place for His Spirit to live in us and direct our daily walk with Him.
When Christ shines in our hearts, people start to notice, so be prepared to tell them the reason. If you haven’t told anyone about your experience when you were saved, tell someone. Or write it down and put it someplace and read it once in a while. It’s such a great story!
A Christian should always be ready to explain the gospel of Christ, which is the reason for our hope.
- Humankind is an enemy of God (Romans 3:23)
- God sent Jesus to redeem us (1 John 2:1-2)
- Jesus paid for the price by His sinless life and His cruel death on the cross. (1 Peter 3:18)
- After lying dead for three days, Jesus was resurrected (as we will be one day). (Luke 24:6-7)
- Now He sits in heaven at the right hand of God, making intercession for us. (Romans 8:34)
- By Christ’s work on the cross, we now have been adopted into God’s family, and we enjoy the blessings of eternal life. (Romans 8:15)
Do you need any other reason?
Please Leave A Comment
I would love to hear your reason for the hope that is in you. Please share with us something God has done in your life in the comment section below. Or tell us your salvation story and let us rejoice with you!
