Day 7 – Ready To Answer When Faith Hurts

Day 7 — Ready To Answer When Faith Hurts

Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, as I read your Word today, prepare my heart for the cost of following you. Help me not to be surprised when faith is misunderstood or opposed, and teach me to answer with courage, gentleness and respect. Amen.

Headline

Sharing faith can hurt, but Christ calls us to be ready to speak of him with courage, gentleness and respect.

1 Peter 3:13-17

Comment

Yesterday we began this second week by remembering that Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.

But even when we know that, sharing faith can still be difficult.

Today we come to the first hurdle: sharing faith can hurt.

I told you I would be honest! At the very least, Christians can be misunderstood. When I came home from university and told my parents I had become a Christian, I was full of it. I was excited by the gospel, by the forgiveness of my sins, and by the relationship with God I had found through Jesus. My mum burst into tears and rushed out of the room. She was not crying from joy, but from shock and horror. She thought I had been brainwashed by some form of cult. And she was a Church of England regular!

So we may be misunderstood by the ones who love us.

But we may also be mocked by those who do not. I remember at university trying to get some music turned down in the room next to mine in the early hours of the morning. One drunk partygoer goaded me in front of everyone: “What are you going to do if I don’t? Hit me? No, you can’t because you’re a Christian!” Boy, was I tempted to.

You get the idea. People thought I was weak and stupid.

These days, I think the culture in the West has shifted even further. There may not be persecution in the way many Christians experience it elsewhere, but there is growing hostility. It is not just apathy we face, but antipathy.

And this should not really surprise us. If you are a Christian, think how offensive much of what we believe sounds to our culture. We believe Jesus is the only way to know God. We believe the cross is the only way to be forgiven. We believe that one day everyone will be judged.

So if you are going to talk about Jesus, there will be times when it hurts.

That is why 1 Peter 3:15 is so important:

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

At first, this can sound wonderfully easy. We imagine someone saying, “I’ve noticed something different about you. Please tell me about your hope.” So we sit down, explain the gospel, and they gratefully come to faith.

But that is not really the context of 1 Peter. Peter is writing to Christians who suffer grief in all kinds of trials, who are insulted, maligned and pressured because they follow Christ. In the very next verse, he speaks of people who “speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ.” In the previous verse, he speaks of suffering for what is right.

So Peter is not describing a comfortable evangelistic conversation over coffee, though that may happen. He is describing being ready to speak when faith hurts.

He is saying: when people challenge you, misunderstand you, mock you, or ask why on earth you believe what you believe, be ready to answer.

But notice how we are to answer: “with gentleness and respect” (v.15). Not with defensiveness. Not with aggression. Not with sarcasm. Not by trying to win the argument at any cost. We answer as people whose hearts revere Christ as Lord.

That is the key. Before we speak about Christ with our lips, we honour Christ in our hearts. We remember that he is Lord, not the person questioning us, not the fear inside us, not the approval of others.

Why does God want you to hear this today? Perhaps because you need to be realistic that speaking of Jesus may hurt, but also ready. You do not need to have every answer. You do not need to be cleverer than everyone else. But you do need to set apart Christ as Lord in your heart, and be prepared to give a reason for the hope you have — with gentleness and respect.

Reflect

• When have you felt misunderstood, mocked or nervous because of your faith in Jesus?
• What does 1 Peter 3:13–17 teach you about the context, courage and manner of Christian witness?
• What would it look like for you to honour Christ as Lord in your heart before answering someone about your hope?

Action

Think of one situation where you may need to answer someone about your Christian faith.

Write down one sentence that explains “the reason for the hope that you have” in simple, natural words.

Closing prayer

Lord Jesus, I confess that I often fear being misunderstood, mocked or rejected for following you. Please forgive me when that fear makes me silent. Help me to honour you as Lord in my heart, and make me ready to answer others with courage, gentleness and respect. Amen