Giving Defense

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 1 Peter 3:15

There are lots of folks these days who don't want us to give offense to anyone for fear of damaging their delicate psyches, but we are always ready to give defense for our hope in Christ Jesus. Some might come from predictability, and that is not always a bad thing. We know for example that old guy who has his stories. Mention a particular word or subject and it is like the start button on the machine. "Boy, let me tell you about the time in the good old days when I was with that good old outfit that needed someone just like me to do this great and noteworthy thing..." You know the format of the story even before the start having heard it so many times. It wouldn't hurt us as disciples of our Lord Jesus to be a bit predictable in the area of our hope in Jesus. Let the hard to reach cases around us be those saying, "If you mention the Bible or Jesus around him, he will go off on one of his stories about how he was and how he has been born again, so don't say things like that!" It is a good thing to be a bit predictable in this, even those who refuse to believe, for now, will remember always where you stand. 

When offense is not called for, we can be ready to give defense...for the hope we have in Jesus!

Bucky