Many Christians are content to just be passive Christians. They sit on the pews and soak in the sermons, stand when they are told and sing along with the worship team. But ask them to pray out loud or comment in a Sunday School class, and they are tongue tied. Peter tells us here that we must always be ready to tell people why we believe and what we believe. When we are out there in the world–at our job or our school or at the market–we won’t have time to call our Pastor or Worship Leader to help us witness to someone. We have been called to defend the hope we possess. Read your Bible, study scripture, practice praying out loud….whatever it takes to be able to give an “account” when the time comes.
And we pray:
Father, I ask You to make me ready to tell people why I believe. Give me boldness to defend the hope in my heart and tell other people about the source of my hope. Help me to study and pray in preparation and, when that day comes, help me to convey the message of hope in gentleness and reverence. Amen.