Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." But in your hearts set apart 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 and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." - I Peter 3:13-17

As Christians, the good things that we do should not bring about harm from the public. However, often they do. The apostle tells us that even if we should suffer, then we should consider our suffering a blessing. Why a blessing for suffering evil, even though we do good?
We should not be afraid of those who seek to terrorize us with fear, nor should we Christians be afraid of the rage or force of the enemy. Even in the most difficult circumstances, we should follow that which is good.
When we suffer for righteousness, we suffer to the glory of Christ our Lord. It is a great honor. In Acts 5:40-41, after the apostles were arrested and flogged for proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ, they left rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for His name.
The point is we are not serving man. We serve God. God is the ruler of the universe. All forces fall under Him, therefore, we should not let them intimidate us. We are reminded that mankind rejected Jesus, who was the perfect example of all that is good. Therefore, if Jesus encountered unpleasantness, so will we. We should not be afraid because our enemies are also God's enemies.
The evil people of this world can do nothing to us except with God's permission. Scripture tells us in Matthew 10:28, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
Notwithstanding the setbacks we encounter in life, we should always be ready with an answer or defense concerning our faith. The things of God are permanent, but the things of this world are transient.
We owe our allegiance to God. Therefore, we should be prepared to defend His name. I am amazed that young people can repeat the words of a rap song, but can't even get a "D" grade in school. They are able to do so because the music is very close to their hearts.
This is so because they care deeply about the artist. Consequently, they take the time to memorize every word of the rap artist's song. That is the same commitment we should have to Christ.
We who say we are Christians should have a heart for Christ. That means that we live as ambassadors for Christ. We should always have a heart for sharing our faith.
However, in sharing our faith, we should do so lovingly. Someone said it is easier to catch flies with honey rather than with vinegar. The love we have for Christ is demonstrated in the love we have for one another.
How do we prepare ourselves to share and defend our faith? We do so by studying God's word. Attending Bible study and becoming more involved in the church. Through the church we learn about God's kingdom, our true home.
In talking about and defending our faith, we should generate the same passion that we do when we talk about our country, our political party, our professional team or our school. Amen.

o Rev. Samuel M. Boodle, pastor at The Lutheran Church of Nassau, can be reached at P.O. Box N 4794, Nassau, Bahamas or telephone 323-4107; E-mail: lutheranchurch@coralwave.com.

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