I Peter 3:15b – 16a (NLT): “…if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way.”
Being ready to share about our faith implies that we’ve taken steps of preparation. That important preparation comes as a result of specific things like praying for God’s help and wisdom, praying for your seeking friends, growing in your knowledge of what God’s word says, and reading books about the tough questions people ask. All of these require a degree of intentionality.
Another factor in Christ-followers being prepared to share is choosing to overcome the fear that, in some conversations, we may not necessarily respond well to people’s questions. Part of this type of ‘preparation’ is realizing that we are not alone in that feeling and experience. Sometimes we may, in fact, not respond well. That’s OK. If it’s a friend, they will most likely allow us to re-engage with that conversation after we’ve thought about what a better response could be. Additionally, we must always remember that, sometimes, the best response might be to say, “I’m not sure about that. Let me give it some thought and do a little research and get back to you.” We don’t have to have the perfect answer to every question. We just need to be able to explain how knowing Jesus personally brings hope in this life and assurance of our eternity in the next.
Sometimes listening to how others respond to questions from seekers or skeptics can be helpful. Cliffe & Stuart Knechtle are a father and son ‘apologetics duo’. The word ‘apologetics’ means simply ‘the discipline of defending’ – i.e., defending the faith with biblical answers.
The Knechtles spend time on the street and on university campuses talking with people about the Christian faith. Check out their website and their videos here: https://givemeananswer.org/. Cliffe and Stuart give students the opportunity to ask their tough questions. There’s a free exchange of thought and ideas. They answer in a way that is straight-forward, but grace-filled. You may find that hearing these discussions and the Knechtle’s responses will help you fortify your own faith. It may also help to equip you to be better prepared to intelligently engage seekers or skeptics in conversations you have with them. Pray for God’s wisdom and grace as you do so you can do this in a ‘gentle and respectful way’ (I Peter 3:16).