By Ethan Arbuckle
“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
This verse is of amazing importance to our walk with Jesus Christ. It says so much about what our walk of faith ought to be. Unfortunately, I think that’s what it can be to many of us, what we “ought to do.” Sometimes we find ourselves questioning what is means to be prepared to make a defense (or give an answer as some translations put it) for the hope that is in us.
When I think of being prepared, I think of getting ready to go on a cattle drive. You need to prepare yourself in a couple ways. Make sure you are hydrated, make sure you have good hat and clothes to protect you from the sun. Next is the horse. Make sure they have been well brushed, feet are shod, saddled properly with cinches checked, and the horse is in good health. All of these are part of the process, but to even start the process you need all the equipment first. This is similar to how we need to prepare for our everyday battles.
The first step is our life. Before we can start to speak and give an answer, we must first be making a continued effort to have a relationship with Jesus, because our life is apparent to all before, we speak. While we cannot ever be perfect, most people can see if we truly live the way we say we should. In fact, this defense is the most powerful and potent of all, because it is seen by everyone all the time. It shows people that we have a genuine interest and belief in what we belief and that is oftentimes a great beginning to a conversation. In all things we ought to be genuine, and that effort shows others the love of Christ.
At the center of all conversation there is a need for the Holy Spirt. Sometimes we think it is our job to do the soul winning, or even the convincing but it is not us but the Holy Spirit through us. Therefore, I personally often pray right before and especially after I have had a divinely appointed conversation about my faith with another person. This reliance on the Spirit reminds us whose we are, and where our strength comes from. This keeps us centered on what truly matters and our eternal lifeline will not let us down.
All of these things are important for us to be aware of before we start the process of sharpening our tools so that God may use us to lovingly and graciously explain what and why we believe to another. These are tenants that will ensure we don’t fall into the trap of “Because I know the right answer” and keep us focused on the purpose of the gospel, telling other people about our personal, eternal, all powerful savior.
Once we understand these foundational ideas we can start to go out and fight the misinformation, doubts, and just plain attack that we encounter as Christian from day to day.