Endure: Building Faith for the Long Run預覽

Made to witness

Due to my armlessness, I find myself in conversations with complete strangers almost daily. A routine trip to get gas or pick up an item at the grocery store will quickly morph into a conversation with curious strangers who want to know what a life without arms is really like, and yet I want the conversations to cross over to something more meaningful than talking to others about my disability. I try my best to move those conversations to talk about the gospel.

I can say that I try to share the gospel with someone personally at least once a week. I still have some trepidation knowing what to say, and I am still uncomfortable putting myself out there, but I am doing what God has asked of me. I am seeking to be the one who sows the seed of the gospel like Jesus talks about in Matthew 13. It is not up to me to produce the growth of the gospel seed in the lives of others, but I am responsible to cast that gospel seed as I see the opportunity.

The hard part comes from never truly knowing when a gospel opportunity will present itself. It can happen in a conversation with a good friend or while you wait in line at Walmart. You should always be ready. Paul gives this command to the dispersed and persecuted church in 1 Peter 3:15:

But 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.

These people are under duress for their faith, and Peter pushes them to still share hope with those who hurt them.

Give a defense for the hope that lives inside of you. Defense literally means to give a reasoned or clear statement. We always need to be ready to clearly tell others why we have hope and how they can have hope. That is the defense the believer needs to prepare for day in and day out.

Even on our most difficult days, we can share God’s comfort with those who need it the most. It is a comfort that spans our hurts and doubts. It is a comfort that can come from no other place than God. It is a life-altering comfort and hope that is meant to be a salve to you and a message of hope to all you are close with. Be willing to share your hurt and hope with the people you love.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.