Unexpected things happen in life. What do we do when they happen?
In our passage for today, the people this letter was written to were members of the church under persecution. They were told to live their lives for Christ and be willing to suffer for the sake of Christ that His name would be glorified and more people would come to faith. Then, they were given encouragement to know that God is with them and cares for them.
They are also told to be ready.
They were to be ready for those unexpected moments when they were asked why they were living like they were and why they had such hope. Have an answer. Be ready to tell them about Jesus. He was their hope and their salvation and so they were willing to joyfully endure hardship for Him.
He is our hope and our salvation as well.
We may not be under the kind of persecution the early church was, but we, too, should live our lives for Christ and always be ready with an answer for our hope. Jesus is our hope and salvation as well and we want to live for Him.
Have you ever thought about what you would say if someone asked you about Jesus?
I want to encourage you, today, to do that. Think about it. Think about what Jesus has done in your life. Spend some time reading the Bible and thinking about what you might say to tell someone about Jesus and His life, death, and resurrection.
We have been given life and salvation. We have a hope that nothing in this world can overcome. And we never know when we’ll have the opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus with someone else who does not have that hope and have the great joy of seeing them given new life in Christ.
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for all that You have done for me. Prepare me to be able to talk with others about You. Give me opportunities to share You with others and, in those moments, give me the words to say that they might come to know Your saving grace as I have.
Amen.