Always Be Ready

In life, we all have to prepare for something. Maybe you are preparing for a work trip or a presentation you need to give. No matter what, at some time or another, we need to have a plan in place.

Preparation removes fear and helps us get familiar with whatever we are doing. We’re not anxious and we can perform any assignment God has given to us with the confidence that he’s with us and has given us everything we need.

We already talked about how we should sanctify Christ Jesus in our hearts in 1 Peter 3:15. The second part of that Scripture tells us to always be ready to make a defense. But what are we defending? Well, the Apostle Peter tells us that we are defending, or giving an explanation for, the hope that’s in us.

If we’re ready to give an answer for our belief, this means we anticipate that we will be asked. Therefore, we practice that explanation. And more than likely, we’ll be asked this question by people who think Jesus is no more real than the Easter bunny or Santa Claus. So, how do we prepare to defend our hope?

We defend our hope by sharing our personal experience about the ways Jesus has made a difference in our lives. It’s an answer from the heart. It should come easily and be natural to us. People who have not been able to experience how God has changed them want an authentic yet compelling answer. It feels like practice, but when we are fully convinced of God’s love, the answer to why we believe genuinely flows. Our explanation is always prepared in our heart. We’re armed with our answer for why we have hope in our faith and always ready to defend our beliefs.

Choose to get ready today. Prepare a one- or two-sentence response to the question, "Why are you doing this?"