Day 26 | Be Prepared!

Reflection

It feels contradictory to pre-plan for spontaneous questions, doesn’t it?

But when Peter calls us to be prepared to give the reason for our hope in Jesus – I’m going to need some pre-planning time for this sort of readiness. And I find I particularly need to pray for boldness if my anxiety or nerves aren’t far below the surface.

Throughout this series, we’ve considered our need for greater faith-confidence on our frontlines. If we prepare for those spontaneous conversations, our competence grows. As we gain competence so, too, confidence increases.

We can sometimes fall into the trap of thinking of ‘being prepared’ as a reluctant willingness to play our part. We think ‘if I really must’ or ‘if someone else isn’t available’.

Peter’s challenge in 1 Peter 3:15 is much more positive. To be prepared here implies ‘standing by’ or being ‘ready, wanting, and willing’, having made the necessary preparations.

And Peter’s words suggest ordinary, everyday conversations. He is calling them to be ready for those informal, spontaneous conversations that can happen anywhere.

The passage here and the 1 Peter letter as a whole give us some characteristics of the answers we should be prepared to give. We should prepare and pray for answers that are reasonable, that include the reasons for the hope we have. They should be personal, describing our own personal faith and its impact on us. In giving these answers we should be calm and kind, so our words are conveyed with gentleness. And we should be reverent, and respectful of others and our God.

How can you prepare to give answers like this?

Responding in prayer

Lord, please forgive me when I only have a reluctant willingness. Please help me to be ready, wanting, and willing to speak of You.

Lord, help my confidence to grow through preparation for questions my friends and colleagues might ask. And when I don’t yet have answers, help me to be honest and still represent You well.