Giving and Receiving Month
Ready to Share the Word
As a man walked along a creek, he heard a voice say, “Pick up some pebbles and put them in your pocket, and tomorrow you will be both sorry and glad.” The man obeyed. He stooped down, picked up a handful of pebbles, and put them in his pocket. The following day, he reached into his pocket and found diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. He was both glad and sorry. He was glad he had taken some pebbles but sorry he hadn’t taken more.
When I read this story, I thought about how many times I’ve been glad for taking in some of God’s Word but sorry that I hadn’t taken more for moments when I needed it to help others. I learned the hard way to read, study, interpret, meditate, and apply God’s Word when I would need to encourage, counsel, or confront others through the Word of God.
Some believers make excuses for not acquiring more of God’s Word. They use time as a major factor for failing to acquire more of His Word. In an article entitled, “I Don’t Have Time To Read My Bible,” Michael Gunnin writes, “Finding time to read the Bible may not be as complicated as we think. If you are looking for time to read the Bible, it may be as simple as trimming those time wasters.” Gunnin suggests that one of the biggest time wasters is social media. Thus, he proposes that believers can gain significant time by scaling back their social media usage. That time can be dedicated to at least 15-minute increments of daily Bible reading.
Our intake of God’s Word can prepare us for times when we must share the Word of God apologetically. In 1 Peter 3:15, the apostle Peter wrote, “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account of the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” He also offers a three-part strategy for moments when believers must justify God’s Word. Peter offers the following steps for 21st century believers tasked with apologetically sharing the Word of God:
Step #1: Prioritize Room for Christ (1 Pet. 3:15a). Peter said, “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.” Peter’s words in this verse must be understood considering verse 14, where he said, “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled.” Peter is referencing Isaiah 8:12-13. In that pericope, Isaiah challenged God’s people not to focus on their enemies but to focus on Him. Peter challenged believers while enduring persecution not to focus on their enemies but on Christ. The lesson is that whenever we focus on Christ, we won’t worry about what our enemies can do to us.
When we make room for Christ in our hearts, we leave less room for fear, and we will spend more time trusting the Lord to care for us. When fear is eradicated, we can confidently face the challenges that will come our way. Focusing on fear can keep us from living Christ-centered lives and responding confidently to those who might oppose the gospel message about Him.
Step #2: Learn to Be Ready (1 Pet. 3:15b). Peter said, “…always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you…” The word “defense” comes from a Greek word (apologia) from which we get the English word “apologetics.” Thus, Peter challenged believers to develop an intelligent defense of the gospel, to know why they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and to have hope in Christ instead of another source. Peter didn’t demand that believers become professional apologists to defend their faith. However, he challenged them to develop their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and respond well to what they believed about their Savior.
Some people don’t know why they believe what they believe about God. As a result, their ignorance leaves them unprepared to offer an effective defense and provide hope to someone desperately needing a word of hope. In the introduction of Christian Apologetics, Douglas Groothuis said we are “creatures of hope” and “even when our hope for family, friends., country and ourselves are satisfied—by a happy reunion, an election that goes our way, a job promotion, a negative biopsy—larger hopes still loom.” We should understand the demand for hope by others who are optimistically looking for a word or message filled with eternal hope.
Step #3: Share the Word with Respect (1 Pet. 3:15c). Not only did Peter want believers to see the importance of what they said in offering a reasonable response, but he also wanted them to understand how they communicated their response. Peter said that as we share and explain the reason for our hope, we need to do it with “gentleness and reverence.”
Gentleness suggests we should never be overbearing and harsh as we share the truth and help others understand our hope in Christ. Wayne Grudem said that when we share the truth, we must do it with “gentleness and (respect), not attempting to overpower the person with the force of human personality or aggressiveness but trusting the Holy Spirit himself to persuade the listener quietly.”
Additionally, we need reverence. The word “reverence” suggests that we must honor God as we offer a reasonable response when asked about the hope that makes us different from those of the world. In his commentary remarks on 1 Peter 3:15, Dr. Larry George said how we respond can convey that we are “grounded spiritually rather than in a worldly way.” If we offer a worldly response, we will lose the distinctiveness that makes us stand out from the rest of the world.
Christian apologist and philosopher Gregory Koukl offered an excellent method for apologetic responses that I believe honors and respects God. He rightly pointed out that too many believers try to hit a home run in their first bat in sharing the truth with a person. Koukl said that we need to change our approach to sharing the truth. Instead of trying to convert a person in the first conversation, he proposes that we give them something to think about by putting a stone in their shoe. Not a literal stone, but a small word of truth that is “something they can’t ignore because it continues to poke at them in a good way.” Koukl also added that one of the reasons we take this approach is because we need to honor the law of the harvest. We honor it by acknowledging that we don’t plant and reap in the same season.
Every believer will have opportunities to share the Word of God with another person who needs to hear a word of hope, especially in times of hopelessness. Thus, prioritization of Christ’s lordship over one’s life, readiness to provide apologetic responses, and a respectable methodology in sharing God’s Word are imperative. Keep doing your best to be ready for moments when God provides an opportunity to share His transforming Word. Consistently acquire God’s Word so there will never be a day when you say, “I wish I would’ve taken in more of God’s Word!”