Devotion:
For an audio version of this devotion, click here.
Read 1 Peter 3:15-16.
The writer of 1 Peter calls his readers to be “ ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15 NRSV) We are called to be witnesses to our faith. To always be ready to be a witness for Jesus. Much of the time that seems like an easy enough thing to do. But there are a number of days, especially in this polarized society of ours, when taking a stand seems fraught with uncertainty. I am reminded of an old joke the comedian Flip Wilson told when asked if he was a Jehovah’s Witness. Wilson replied that he was actually a Jehovah’s Bystander, as he didn’t have enough courage to be a witness.
Perhaps that is why verse 15 is followed by the admonition in verse 16 to make one’s witness with “gentleness and reverence.” 1 Peter was also written in a difficult time not unlike ours, and the early Christians were anxious about how to share their faith. They soon became known for the way they shared their witness in sacrificial service, outreach to the poor and sick, and love for one another. Not bad advice for us 2000 years later.
Personal Worship Option:
Lord, give me the courage to share my faith, and the wisdom to do so with gentleness and reverence.” Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment