“Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15b). It is a fact that a person will not listen to you if they are not interested in what you have to us, unless they ask you. In other words, it is best to be ready to give an answer when someone asks you for a reason for the hope that you have, just as Peter tells us.
So, what are such opportunities and can we create such opportunities? We cannot create opportunities, but God can. What we can do is to pray for opportunities. We can live lives of faith bearing witness of the hope that we have. We can wear clothing and/or jewelry that is of such a nature that one might ask about our hope, in other words, we might wear something with a Christian message, a shirt or tie, or hat or the like. We may wear a necklace or earrings that suggest our hope as Christians.
More often than not our friends are like-minded people that we have come into contact with because of similar interests. Perhaps we only have Christian friends. Think about your travels, the groups or clubs of which you are a member. Are their ways you might work the conversation so as to be asked about the hope that you have, not in a contrived, fake or phoney way, but that fits the conversation?
It might be helpful for you to ask a question remembering to ask permission to ask first especially if it is a personal question, such as, “May I ask you about your church?” “What do they teach about . . . ?” perhaps some social issue or the like, any question that might bring the question back to you.
The point is that as you pray for opportunities to share your hope, the Lord will give you those opportunities. With the opportunity is the encouragement to be ready to give an answer and we are ready as the Lord gives us both the words and the courage to speak. And then we leave it to Him to work when and where He pleases.
24 of 52 © Rev. Dr. Ronald A. Bogs (2018)
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