Don’t Leave it to Chance

“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 and respect,” 1 Peter 3:15 NIV

In a story titled “After 2 Years of Finishing Second, Habtom Samuel Finally Gets His Win at the NCAA XC Championships” posted by Runner’s World over the weekend, it was reported that: After finishing runner-up twice, Habtom Samuel finally secured his first NCAA cross-country title.

On Saturday, November 22, the junior from New Mexico won the men’s 10K in 28:33 (4:35 mile pace) at the NCAA Cross-Country Championships in Columbia, Missouri. After running patiently in a dense lead pack for the majority of the race, Samuel broke away in the final mile on the grass. Rocky Hansen attempted to chase Samuel but was unable to close the gap. The junior from Wake Forest finished second in 28:38.

“This is amazing. After these past two years of finishing runner-up, I was like, keep working hard. I didn’t ever give up, just fighting,” Samuel told Chris Derrick on the ESPN broadcast. “So, I feel really good the whole day, just being patient in the group, and I just gave a big move…”

Samuel didn’t leave anything to chance. After losing to Graham Blanks of Harvard two years in a row, the runner from Eritrea surged ahead about a mile from the finish in a move none of his rivals were able to match.

And, you know, in the same way that Samuel gained victory by not “leaving anything to chance” but by training hard and carefully planning his race strategy so he was thoroughly prepared, you and I would do well to ensure that we are always prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have.

“But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 1 Peter 3:14

And we do this by training hard spiritually—reading, meditating, and memorizing the word in the same way and with the same zeal an Olympic athlete trains for gold. Why? Because as Peter knew, believers would be persecuted or “suffer for what is right" but would be blessed for the awesome privilege of suffering for Jesus because of the unique opportunity it would provide them to share their faith. Hence the reason Peter said when (not if) this happened, they were not to fear or be frightened by “their threats” but were to “revere Christ as Lord" in their hearts so those who came up against them would see their unwavering hope. 

You see, suffering for what is right gives a believer a divine set of circumstances to show the hope that is only found in Jesus Christ—the hope that provides peace in the midst of chaos and joy in the face of hardship. It’s this hope (that’s undeterred, unchanging and independent of conditions) that causes people to ask the question, “"How can you be so hopeful in such difficult circumstances?" Which gives us the open door to “give the reason for the hope” we have in Christ Jesus. 

Think about it… The way we conduct ourselves can inspire this curiosity and this curiosity gives us an opportunity!

And this is the reason we must always live in a way that shows Jesus is Lord of our lives and must always be prepared to make the case for our faith in Christ—doing it with all gentleness and respect that we might inspire the lost to seek the One who inspires the hope that is so contrary to the world.

So, don’t leave it to chance that you’ll be able to give a defense for your faith in Christ my friend. Put in the work it takes to study the Bible and commit it to memory so you’ll be fully prepared to give an answer for the hope you have when the time arises. And, in doing so, will lead the lost to Jesus. You might only have once chance, so be ready!

Heavenly Father, thank You for the Bible that gives us everything we need to defend the reason we continue to hope in Jesus despite hardships and suffering. Compel us to train in the Word with all effort that we would be found ready when the opportunity to give a reason for the hope we have arises Lord. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.

Happy Running!