Defending the Faith

A line in one of my new favorite songs says "Jesus friend of sinners the truth's become so hard to see.
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me."

This entire song is chopped full of truths that speak to your very soul.  This line just happens to coincide with what I read today in 1 Peter. 

Verse 15 says, "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..." 

Sometimes our egos get in the way.  We have the answer and we want everyone else to have it too, but all too often we don't quite get there the right way.  We come across conceited, or like we know so much more than they do.  Like we have all the answers and they are just filthy sinners who don't have a clue.

OK, so we might not be thinking these things in our heads as we share our beautiful, Christian lives with them, but we have to be careful.  It can often times come across this way to them.  We have to make sure they know we are no better than they are.  The only thing we have that they don't is Jesus in our hearts.  We aren't any better, Jesus is. 

The other major thing that trips us up is our actions.  We go along our merry way telling people how great we have it with Jesus in our lives, but kind of forget to live our lives that way.  They might find us using the wrong words or losing our tempers with our kids.  Possibly no passing on some grace to a fellow driver on the road or being patient with a new clerk at the local superstore. 

Most of the times, these actions are what speak the loudest for us and our Lord.  Why would anyone want to live in such a double standard?  How can anyone even begin to understand how it all works?

We have an amazing hope people.  We need to make sure we live in such a way that people are breaking down the doors to get into it!  Gentleness and respect.  That is all it takes.  Can you pull it off?