DO YOU REVERE CHRIST AND TREAT OTHERS WITH GENTLENESS AND RESPECT?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
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. But do this with gentleness and respect,
keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously
against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
(1 Peter 3:15-16)

MEDITATION:
The scriptures tell us to ‘revere’ (in other words, hold in highest regard)
Christ as Lord. That means we should not consider anyone (or anything)
other than Him as Lord. Additionally, we should always be prepared to
tell anyone why we believe that He is Lord. It is our testimony of our faith.

We should….
    – know in advance how to tell others
      when we began to believe in the Lord and why.
    – be prepared to tell others how He has impacted our lives.
    – be able to tell others about our hope after our life on earth has ended.
    – be able to tell others how we communicate with the Lord,
       how He impacts our lives, and how we learn more about Him.

Our conversations with others about our relationship with the Lord
should never be condescending or an attempt to lecture them. Instead
we should gently and respectfully express our faith and provide them
the opportunity to ask questions. A conversation is not present when
only one person is doing all the talking. There must be listening from
both people in for a conversation to take place.

We should have a clear conscience that we have treated others in a
kindly manner and with respect. Our efforts are to share our reasons
for having faith in the Lord and not to convict them that they need to
do the same thing (that is God’s responsibility). We are asked to be
prepared to share with others and stay out of God’s way.

God has given each of us a special gift called ‘conscience’. It is like an
inner detective that watches our every action and calls our attention to
every sinful act that we commit. Every imagination, thought and act is
held up to our conscience for either censure or approval.

Conscience could be the best argument for the existence of God. It is
God’s voice to the inner person. Conscience is our wisest counselor
and teacher, and our most faithful and patient friend. We should be
sincerely concerned if we start feeling an absence of our conscience.

ACTION:
Questions to consider:
    – Am I prepared to share my faith with others?
    – Have I given any thought as to what I would say to them?
       We aren’t talking about going around as a pastor or
       missionary (unless that’s where God has called us to serve).

All followers of Jesus are considered as agents for the Lord. We
are expected to be prepared to share our testimony with others
when given the opportunity. This means we should be prepared
with what we will say, and we should learn to be sensitive and
respond to the opportunities we are given.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me salvation that includes
a promise that I will be with You in heaven. I have done so little for
You, but You have done so much for me. Help me to reflect on my
faith and my relationship with You, so I will be prepared to share
my testimony with others. Forgive me for the times I have failed
when given an opportunity to share my faith. Impress on me the
importance of how my words can have an impact on eternity for
others. Show me the things in my life that contradict my faith in
You, so I can remove them from my life (with the help of the Holy
Spirit). Help me to be alert and sense when the Holy Spirit is
prompting me to be bold about my faith.”

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