To Encourage You

1 Peter 3:15 “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.”

Have you ever been at a loss for words?  It’s an awkward moment when this happens, especially when you think you probably should have something to say, or at least wish that you did, but you don’t.   This happened to me not too long ago. I was talking to a resident at a nursing home. This person was around 90 years old.  She has been in the home for over a year. Her life largely consisted of lying on the bed, sleeping, and waking long enough just to eat a little now and then.  She had no prospects for this condition to ever change.  Essentially,  she was just waiting to die.  As I visited with her, one of the few things she said to me was this: “What is there to talk about?”  I couldn’tthink of a reply. 

This morning, this incident came to my mind, and with it my mind went to the verse above.  So often we think of this verse in the context of sharing the gospel with an unbeliever – the idea of being always ready to turn a conversation to the wonderful truth that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). However, surely this verse from 1 Peter means more than this.  It tells us to be ready always to speak to anyone – believer and unbeliever alike – about the wonderful hope that we have. 

Interestingly, the passage begins with these words: “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy.”  Holy means separate, set apart, usually with the idea of being set apart to God and dedicated to His service.  It also means separate from this world.  You see, Jesus was in the world, but He wasn’t of it.  His life was always focused on the kingdom of God rather than the kingdoms of this world. He lived His life with eternity always in mind. He lived life for the joy set before Him.  Because of this, it was the kingdom of God that was the primary message that came from His lips. He  said such things as “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17), “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3), “The kingdom of God has come near to you” (Luke 10:9), “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10), “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32), and He told us to pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).  With these words, Jesus gave us a wonderful example to follow.  Whenever Jesus opened His mouth, truth about the kingdom of God came out of it.  Shouldn’t we who know Him be ready to do the same?  Rather than ever being at a loss for words, shouldn’t we always be ready to give a reason for the hope that we have, hope that is rooted in the reality of the kingdom of heaven? When my friend, who was a believer (she has since died), asked me that question: “What is there to talk about?” shouldn’t I have been ready to turn the conversation to the hope that we have?

Hopefully, I’ve learned a lesson that I won’t forget the next time I’m given such an opportunity to speak.  To the glory of God, we who know Christ always have a great hope to speak about, promises and truth that should always raise our thoughts above the mundane realities of life on this earth.  Unlike those Who have no hope, we always have a reason to hope that is rooted in the truth that we are citizens of heaven even as we live, in a sense, as aliens for a time on this earth. 

May God help us who know Him to never be at a loss for words, but ready always to give a reason for the hope that is in us, hope that is rooted in the wonderful Truth of the Word of the Living God.