Reason for Your Faith 1 Peter 3:15

When we act out the ideas Jesus gives us to put others first (Philippians 2:3), many will want to know why. Many think we all live for the same things, our self, the pursuit of happiness or success, wealth, ease. Christ-followers look beyond this life to success in eternity. And that belief alone can propel us to serve others when it seems that very act will be to our detriment.

When we serve others, they will ask. They will want to know why we bless them or put them ahead of ourselves. The natural is "me first." But Jesus' followers put others first.

What do we do when they ask? We give them a reason. Two days ago, we discussed the need to know what we believe. Today, let's practice answering the question, "Why are you doing this?"

This question is a great way to introduce Jesus into a dialog with a coworker or customer. A simple one or two sentence answer that states how Jesus commands us to serve others is all it takes. From that moment forward, your friend will be curious about why you follow Jesus.

Practice your answer today. Make sure you use "I" and "me" statements and keep your relationship intact. We give a gentle, respectful answer that explains our own motives and it's up to our friend or coworker to compare their own life to a life following Jesus. In this we join Jesus in his work of redeeming mankind.