Nov 9 - 1 Peter 3:15

Always be ready to [give] an accounting

for the hope that is in you

1 Peter 3:15

I was just getting ready to write a daily devotion, when a friend emailed me. Since I used my devotion writing time to respond to a friend, I'll let you listen in ... because you'll quickly see that this question could come to all of us. 

This friend wrote ... "Dear Pastor, I have a friend in need. This person has [and I'll change the particulars] a son with health problem, a daughter with a drug addiction, a marriage that is not good, a persistent depression, a loss of a job, and financial problems leading to bankrupcy."

In this particular case, about half of these facts are true, but my friend says, "This person has so much on their shoulders that they're about to crack. I told this person that she needs to have faith and trust in God and put this in his hand to take care of it. Just pray and let him help you with the burden. She asked me I don't know how to do this how do I ask him to take this from me. I didn't know what to tell her." 

Here's how I responded. (It's long, but hopefully helpful.)

            1

Good questions ... hard questions ... glad you're asking ...

The biggest thing is to testify to your friend based on your own personal experience. You can say, "I don't know all the answers, but here's how God helps me." In fact, Peter encourages us to do just this, "always be prepared to give an account of the hope that is in you" (1 Pet 3:15).

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Here's a logical progression to work your friend through ...

Tell them that even if our life is perfectly charmed and even if it takes until our deathbed before we have real losses and real struggles, at some point in every life, we all eventually get to a place where we can't handle something ourselves.

So what do we do when we get to a point of significant struggle? One of the best hopes is to turn to Jesus who says, "Come to me, all who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Matt 11:28). 

Rest is a good first promise! You're not promising that God responds to a wave of a wand. You're not promising that every trial will be removed. What you're praying for is a "peace that passes all understanding."

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A next good step is to tell where "the peace that passes all understanding" comes from. The Apostle Paul tells us about this in Philippians 4. He says,

• 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. -- God's Plan for Peace: When we're looking up, we see hope, light, joy, and purpose. Why? Because that's where God is. When we're looking down -- and your friend is only looking down at some very trying circumstances -- things are only as hopeful as situations warrant and we ourselves can make them. 
  
• 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. -- God's Plan for Peace: Part of letting our gentleness be known involves not dwelling on ourselves and think of others instead. Indeed, part of peace is thinking of others first. Tell your friend that the way to spell JOY in our lives is J-Jesus first, O-others second, and Y-you last. Now, your friend will probably claim that they're constantly thinking of others and constantly "doing everything for their hurting son and daughter." They're not! Why? Because neither of parents or children have the upward perspective. Hope, rest, and healing power come from Christ first. All they're doing on their own is climbing an impossibly high rope like we had to climb in gym class. The rope is high and their arms are getting tired. The only real hope is trusting in the only one who can pull us up.
  
• 5 The Lord is near. -- God's Plan for Peace: Often when people hurt, they feel some measure of guilt for something. But none of us have done anything so wrong that God can't forgive them! In fact, on the cross, Jesus said about his executors, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Even if we literally hammered the nails in his hands, Jesus loves you and forgives. Indeed Jesus, reiterated his nearness, saying, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you ..." (Rev 3:20).  
  
• 6 Do not worry about anything ... God's Plan for Peace: On our own, this is possible. Indeed, one our own, it is all up to us. But here's the answer ...
  
• 6 but in everything by prayer and petition ...  let your requests be made known to God God's Plan for Peace: The answer, our hope, is through prayer. "Petition" reflects the kind of prayer that we say for others. "Prayer" in this verse is about us. It is our conversation with God. And through repeated conversation, we will develop a relationship that is real and personal. So how do we keep from worrying? By developing a trusting, personal relationship with God. More on this below ...
  
• 6 [and] with thanksgiving. God's Plan for Peace: Thanksgiving is another way of focusing "up" rather than "down." When we're in the midst of trials, it's easy for the negative to overwhelm our lives. The result is that we forget all the blessings we do have. I have, for example, plenty of unemployed friends, who while confessing that it is hard, also keep telling me all the time that even though things are tight, they're thankful for a continued roof over their head and continued food on their tables. They've learned to be thankful for little things. And when we get in that habit, life honestly isn't so bad.
  
• 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. God's Plan for Peace: We want the peace without the obedience. And that's precisely the next issue ...

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Your friend is asking "How?" ... "How to have faith?" ... "How to trust?" ... "How to let go?" That was yesterday's sermon.

• It was Noah building an ark in the middle of the desert. Why? Because God said so.
  
• It was Abraham leaving his home and going to unknown location. Why? Because God said so.
  
• It was David facing a giant. Why? Here's step two. He'd already done a few "God-said-so's" and now he trust that God could protect him, even in the face of a giant.
  
• It was Peter stepping out of a boat. Why? Because he too had seen God's power and now he trusted that God could protect him, even in the face of a giant.

Your friend's life is falling apart. How dare you suggest that this person take their hand off any of these problems! This person can't and won't because they believe it's all up to them. Think about it: This person is their own god. And that generally works just fine ... until we can't do it any more.

It's like this ... until this person believes someone more powerful can handle it for them, they and their son and their marriage and their finances are going to sink lower and lower. But you're asking them to do something big, huge -- to entrust their son's life to a God this person barely acknowledges.

Here's the simple fact of the matter, this person can't trust God to do the big things until they can trust God with the little things. Therefore, have them do one or two steps in Philippians 4 at a time. Do one. Then add another. And another. When this person starts seeing God in small things, maybe they can trust God with big things.

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And if anyone you know is just needing a jump start, try this website: http://peacewithgod.jesus.net/  Look at the videos in advance, and see if one speaks to you about their situation.

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants all our friends

to know the Prince of Peace