Always Ready to Give an Answer

1 Peter 3:15 – “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

What does it mean to be always ready to give an answer?  Does this mean to know the answer to every argument someone may throw at you?  Is it to be a better debater than the other guy?  Am I to be a “walking Bible” that can beat down opposition by a flood of verses?

The text of this verse makes it clear that I need to be ready to give an answer to every man that asks about the “reason of the hope” that I possess!  What this simply means is to be ready at any time to tell someone why I have hope! It has been called “to be soul-conscious.”

I confess that this is a daily challenge in my life.  I begin my day meeting with God in His Word and in prayer, and ask God to guide and direct my steps through the day.  Then, in the busy-ness of the day, my mind focuses on the tasks at hand, and it is easy to miss those opportunities to speak the name of Christ… at the gas station, the coffee stand, the grocery store, or in a parking lot.  How many opportunities are there to “give an answer” if only I would slow down and focus on the people around me, rather than the tasks I’m trying to accomplish?

Dear Lord, help me to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh… a reason of the hope that is in” me!