by David Brenneman
"but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 1 Peter 3:15.
It can be a thing that causes you fear to read that passage. Sanctification is God's work in you. It's not necessarily something you are doing of yourself. It's the work of the Spirit of God. When that moment arrives, and in God's timing it can be anywhere, being ready is more important than knowing what to say.
We as humans ,more so than as Christians if we indeed are Christians, fear the unknown more than we fear the known. We can devise very distorted views in our own minds of what might happen, of what might be, long before anything ever happens. It's our nature. We want to see results that are pleasing to ourselves. Doesn't matter what it is.
Truth is what Scripture says that it is. Being ready is simply agreeing with Jesus that if He presents the moment to us, in His eyes we're ready, just be ourselves in Christ and speak what we're lead to speak in that moment. No more, no less.
Your unique in the body of Christ. It's why you are not ever going to be like those you might sit next to in Church. In your own human body, even the cells that make up your hand might be side-by-side, they are unique in regards to their placement in your body.
In Christ we read long ago of what it says about us in the body of Christ. "If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired." 1 Corinthians 12:17-18.
We don't need to wonder if we'll do well or not. The Bible says that when those moments come upon us, He will speak. He will give us the words. "But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say." Matthew 10:19.
Look back over your life. When things have happened and were of God, could you explain them any other way? Of course not. They were of God. It matters not how we perceive the outcome. The Bible says His words will not return void or empty. When His words go forth they will always accomplish what their purpose is.
Fear is one of the extremely first events in the life of Adam and Eve upon making the first human sin...if not the first it certainly was the second. The first probably being pride at a feeble attempt to be like God.
There's no need to second guess because if you relax and be in the moment God's put you in, He'll be doing the talking through you. He desires your obedience.
I am one who's got some socially awkward issues. An introvert who becomes an extrovert under very select circumstances. Sometimes as an introvert the circumstances will cause a fight or flight problem. Sometimes they won't. In all times that it's a "God thing" nothing bothers me. My life's circumstances to date have a lot of scars from previously abusive peers in my time in school. Lots of scars from abusive supervisors who were less than welcome in their depictions of me. But in every case that it was the Spirit doing His work through me there was none of that shining through.
Another way to look at it is to get rid of the notion of needing to attain to some level of spiritual greatness that we see others as being before we believe we're ready.
That's one of Satan's stronger tactics.
If God wanted you to be another Billy Graham He would have already prepared you to be that way. Had He wanted another like Dr. Charles Stanley, He would have already put those plans in motion in your life. He wants you to be who you are in this here this now. Those men were put here to teach you. The Bible says that those who preach the word are held to a higher calling in Christ Jesus. Worthy of double honor. If you aren't a preacher that's ok too. Be the best you that you are to be in Christ...and as Dr. Stanley said...leave the consequences to Him.
Leave the consequences of obedience to God's Word to God. Plain and simple.
Daniel was in the lion’s den because he obeyed God's word rather than the edict of mankind and left the consequences to Him.
Job did the same. Job went through Hell on Earth but stayed true to obeying God in His heart.
Mary, as is well known this time of year, obeyed God's word through the Angel and left the consequences to Him. Joseph, her husband, obeyed the word of God through the Angel and left the consequences to Him.
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1.
We who are in Christ have the faith to believe that Jesus saved us.
Keep ahold of that same faith that He will keep all His other promises.
Be who you uniquely are in Christ Jesus wherever you go, wherever you are. Don't try to be like this person or that person. You are not those people in Christ.
You are you in Christ.
Be the best you in Christ that you are to be. The account you give wherever you stand before Jesus will only be about what you did in the body of Christ for Him.
"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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