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Are You Ready?

     Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?  But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 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. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. (I Peter 3:13-17)

The first issue of today’s passage requires that we think straight and keep our focus. Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? Not God. Not good people. Evil people might, but evil people are going to do evil things no matter how you behave. We’re not to be afraid of them. Instead, we’re to keep our focus on Jesus.

Suppose for a moment, that in addition to your enemies, there was a person who loved you, and who liked X about you. Would it really matter what the enemies said about X, if the one who lived you likes it? The key would be keeping your focus on the opinion of the one who loves you.

The second issue is one of reflection and attitude. We’re to have an answer ready for those enemies. How can we believe what we believe? How can we stand ourselves? How dare we say they are wrong? Answering, “I believe what I believe,” may shut down the discussion, but it doesn’t really answer the question. The same goes for feelings. If we are to give good reasons for what we believe, we need to reflect on those beliefs, to see what good reasons there are for believing them.

And as reflect on our beliefs and answer those who ask, we must answer in a way that makes the answer bigger than the way we communicate it. We are to communicate with gentleness and respect. No name-calling. No verbal abuse. We are to keep a clear conscience, meaning that we cannot tell lies to trick others into believing. No emotional manipulation or sleight of hand.

Are you prepared to have people say nasty things about you, and continue to say them even when they can’t prove? Ae you prepared to treat them well no matter how they treat you? Get ready.

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