'Hey you! I see you have some hope there. Can you tell me the reason for it?'
That verse has always bothered me - the one in I Peter that says: 'Always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that's inside you,' because the number of times I've had a stranger walk up to me and ask me about my inner hope is -- well -- ZERO.
Maybe that's happened to you. If so, bravo, I guess. My safe estimation, however, is that the large majority of believers have had this happen to them a grand, cumulative ZERO number of times.
So this verse must have some other implications. It seems one explanation would be that we're called to have friendships with people who are far from God. People whose names we actually know. Not - the dentist. Not - the guy who drops off our mail. Not - the cashier at Perkins where I go once a month. No. Michelle. James. Cassie. Mike. Marcus. Real people. Those kinds of people might ultimately ask us that kind of question. Strangers - ZERO.
The other thing this verse implies is the importance of listening to others. We do a lot of talking - so much talking that many of us probably don't give the questions a chance. We hope to answer them before they're asked rather than just let them flow naturally from the questioner - or we do so much yapping we never hear the question.
Developing friendships with those far from God and listening are two skills and activities worth pursuing.
And be blessed.
That verse has always bothered me - the one in I Peter that says: 'Always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that's inside you,' because the number of times I've had a stranger walk up to me and ask me about my inner hope is -- well -- ZERO.
Maybe that's happened to you. If so, bravo, I guess. My safe estimation, however, is that the large majority of believers have had this happen to them a grand, cumulative ZERO number of times. So this verse must have some other implications. It seems one explanation would be that we're called to have friendships with people who are far from God. People whose names we actually know. Not - the dentist. Not - the guy who drops off our mail. Not - the cashier at Perkins where I go once a month. No. Michelle. James. Cassie. Mike. Marcus. Real people. Those kinds of people might ultimately ask us that kind of question. Strangers - ZERO.
The other thing this verse implies is the importance of listening to others. We do a lot of talking - so much talking that many of us probably don't give the questions a chance. We hope to answer them before they're asked rather than just let them flow naturally from the questioner - or we do so much yapping we never hear the question.
Developing friendships with those far from God and listening are two skills and activities worth pursuing.
And be blessed.
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