“In your heart set apart Jesus as Lord. And always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. Do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15
In your heart set apart Jesus as Lord. That means that He is guiding and controlling all of your life: your thoughts, your words, your activities, your decisions and your attitude. When Jesus is controlling every aspect of your life, people will notice that you have hope, joy, peace, faith and much more. And they may be curious about why you have such a hope even though we live in a broken world.
When people ask you how you can be full of hope, you should be ready to tell them about your relationship with Jesus Christ. Tell them how Jesus has saved you, changed you, given you eternal life, and filled you with love, joy and hope. Be ready to share with them the good news of Jesus: how He died for us on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and how He rose from the dead. And how He offers salvation to all who will trust in Him.
When you are having these conversations with people, make sure to do so with gentleness and respect. Many people don’t have faith in Jesus Christ. You must respect them as a person and speak gently to them. Don’t have arguments or shouting matches with people about faith. Don’t talk down to people who don’t yet know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Show people the respect they deserve because they are people.
As you are showing gentleness and respect to all people…
when people ask about the reason for the hope you have…
share the hope you have found in Christ…
because Jesus is your Lord…
and He wants to be their Lord too.
I think that when you have set apart Jesus as Lord in your heart these types of conversations come from a very natural place because they come from the heart.
Agreed!