Be Prepared

When I first became a Christian I was all passion and very little actual knowledge. Then someone asked me why I became a Christian. Well that stumped me. “It’s because Jesus died for me,” I’d say. Then the person would look a little baffled and say, “Yeah but what does that mean?”

I knew in my heart what it meant. I knew that Jesus was Lord in my life. But I was hopeless at expressing myself. I just knew it was right for me and I knew it would be right for them too if only they understood what I understood. The problem was learning to say it in a way that offered confidence and clarity rather than stumbling over vague explanations.

In 1 Peter 3:15 we are told to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” Not only are we to do this for the people who might ask, but it’s important to do this for ourselves as well. The more we know about our Lord, the deeper our relationship grows.

I remembered hearing something said in a bible study group about a part of my faith I’d never thought about. The person said it with such eloquence and even though it was a thing I already knew in my heart, it made such a difference to me to have it said out loud in easily understood words. It clarified my thoughts. It confirmed my faith. And it gave me a real buzz.

This is why it is important to think about our faith and to be prepared.