Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
One of the biggest pet peeves I had growing up as a kid was when I would ask my parents a question, and the answer was, "Because." "Why do I have to eat my vegetables?" "Because." "Why do I have to go to school?" "Because." "Why can't I do this?" "Because. Because. Because." That reasoning just didn't work for my brain that wanted to understand why.
It's why, as a parent, I've done my best to give my children reasons when they ask a question. But the older they've gotten, these questions have become more complex and complicated, and recently, to the glory of God, they've been related to our faith. The questions aren't, "Why can't I stay up later?" The questions are, "Why does the Bible say this, Dad? Why do we believe this? Why would God do this?" It's been challenging as a father to go, man, do I have a full understanding of God's Word to be able to explain all this to my kids?
Be Ready to Explain It
These very questions are something that the Bible encourages us to be prepared for. One of those places comes from our Verse of the Day.
It's 1 Peter chapter 3, verse 15. It says, "Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it."
My example with my kids asking me questions about why we believe what we believe is really just the tip of the iceberg. If you look at what Peter is encouraging them to be prepared for, it's actually something a little bit more extreme. In the early church, it was very common for them to face persecution for their faith and for the hope that they had in Jesus. He's telling them, "Be prepared. If somebody asks you, 'Why do you believe what you believe?' you need to be ready to give a good reasoning for it."
Facing Persecution
In the verses leading up to this one, Peter's also encouraging them to be unified, to be of one mind, to seek to do good in the community. You might ask yourself, why would people persecute a group of people that just want to love others selflessly? It's the same question that Peter poses here. Why would people want to persecute people who want to do good? Well, they faced it back then. The unfortunate reality is that it's something that we still face today. People will persecute you for what you believe, for putting your hope in Jesus.
You need to be prepared to not fight back, but to come back and be ready to share your heart, to share the goodness of God and all that He's done, and most importantly, to worship Christ as the Lord of your life. Because when He's Lord of your life, it takes your mind off of the conflict and it sets your eyes on things above. It helps you look at this as an opportunity to come before people who are just confused and lost in this world, and to help them navigate it. To shine that light of Christ in the darkness.
An Open Door
See, what's so powerful about this mindset is that when we make Christ Lord of our lives, when we face persecution, it's not just about helping us get through it. It's about the potential to explain to somebody the beauties of what we find in the Word. People might not always look at you during times of persecution and go, you know, you're so hopeful. Why is that hope in you? But man, when they do, on those occasions that somebody has the courage to go, you know what? You just respond to persecution differently. Why is that? be prepared for that moment. Because that is an open door to talk about the goodness of God, to have a reason for the hope that's in you. One day, it may be the very thing that leads somebody a little bit closer to the heart of God.
