When They Ask About Your Hope

When the world gets darker, light is more easily seen.

In our text for tomorrow, Peter seems to assume this: people who don’t follow Christ will become curious about the source of our hope, and they will occasionally ask where it comes from.

“I’ve noticed something different about you . . . you don’t seem to be affected by life’s difficulties as the rest of us are. How do you do that?”

“How do you avoid getting caught up in all the hate, anger, and despair?”

“I’ve noticed that you don’t join in with all of the slander and backbiting that goes on in our office . . . why is that? How do you avoid it?”

If there’s a bright spot with the increasing secularism around us, it’ll be that some of the folks who embrace it will realize it doesn’t offer what it promises. There’s no sustained hope there. It doesn’t provide lasting contentment or happiness. Following a godless agenda only leads to despair and disappointment.

In the midst of that, God calls us to something higher and more noble, and sometimes the people around us will ask where it comes from.

Then, Peter says, we can respond kindly and respectfully, and God will use our examples and words to influence people for Christ.