Are You Prepared?

Is it possible for a Christian to live a life that displays the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) yet have a negative impact on the advancement of God’s Kingdom?

According to author Donald Whitney, it is.

In his classic book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Whitney suggests that if a Christ-follower does not share with others that Christ is the source of their desire and ability (Philippians 2:13) to live a godly life, people may mistakenly believe it’s possible to live out those qualities and attributes without a relationship with Christ.

How do you answer if someone asks you how you can be so happy all the time…or how you seem to be able to handle tough situations so well…or how you can have peace in the middle of the times we are living in…or what keeps you from worrying about something…

In that moment, we have a choice.  Do we give God the credit or do we deny Him?  That may seem strong, but not giving God the credit He deserves is giving someone else (often ourselves in a humble brag way) the credit.

·      “I just try to have a positive outlook…”

·      “I try to have a long term perspective so I don’t sweat the small stuff…”

·      “I’m just naturally not a worrier…”

Answers like those tell the world a relationship with Christ is not needed to live what would otherwise be described as a Christian life.

Conversely, being prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us the reason for the hope that we have in gentleness and respect (I Peter 3:15) gives us the opportunity to plant seeds for the Kingdom of God and to show people where the real power in our life is from.

·      The more I read the Bible, the more positive I can be about things because I see that God is working all things out for my good

·      I feel like God is giving me a growing desire and ability to love others

·      I find that the more I pray about something, the less I worry about it

The first part of 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to be prepared.  The more we privately and prayerfully give God credit for the good things in our lives and for the positive changes He is making in our lives, the more prepared we will be to publicly give Him the credit He so deserves.  And when we give Him the credit publicly, we are showing others the impact of a relationship with Christ.