In Your Hearts Revere Christ as LORD

by TerryLema

I rearranged the bulletin board at church, taking down a number of thank you notes and putting them in an album. I re-read them and found a phrase that expressed one author’s gratitude … “a gift of hope.”

Hopelessness is a major problem in our nation. People have no hope that anything will change, not in politics, or healthcare, or religion, or the media, or their personal lives, or if things do change they will only get worse. Many have given up.

Those who love the Lord Jesus are to have much hope. Peter reminds us: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness (meekness) and respect (fear).” [1 Peter 3:15 NIV]

We are to be prepared to display the hope we have to the world. We do that in a gentle manner and with much respect. The key question, of course, is do we ourselves actually possess the hope that the world needs? If we don’t, there’s no way to bluff our way through.

The world often says, “I hope,” when it really means “I wish.” True, solid, biblical hope is not wishful thinking, it is confidence in God Almighty.  That’s why Peter’s admonition to be prepared to respond begins with in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.” When we revere, honor, acknowledge Christ as Lord in our own hearts, hope grows and takes root there. Then it’s not at all difficult to be prepared to give that hope to others.

The “gift of hope” that Christ gives us is more than enough to share with the world.

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