Preparation and timing
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
As a gardener with an old peach tree, I’m always needing to protect it from pests. One of the best ways is to spray it with horticultural oil in early spring as that smothers the pests under the bark. Unfortunately, the specifications for the proper conditions for spraying are very narrow. There must be 24 to 48 hours with no freezing temperatures, no wind when applying spray oil, and the tree cannot have formed blossoms on it. In northern Nevada, that’s asking for a lot!
So what can happen if you don’t follow the guidelines? If the tree’s bark has fresh oil on it during a freeze, the tree may be greatly damaged or die. Applying oil during even the slightest breeze defeats the purpose of effectively covering the bark to kill insects and eggs underneath (not to mention the oil blowing on self or things in the yard). Oil on blossom buds will harm them so that they die, hence no flowers nor possibility of fruit.
Yet in the high desert, freezing night temperatures often pair with warm springlike days, which encourage blossoming early. Some years, there is not an appropriate window to spray in late winter at all, as the conditions are never quite right. The best chance for potential oil spraying is to be prepared and ready to spray at a moment’s notice.
Witnessing about faith is like that too. Peter reminds us to revere Christ as Lord and to ALWAYS be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. This means that we are to be strong in our faith, know the Gospel and be ready to share not only Scripture, but how God has worked in our lives. Notice that we are admonished to give an answer to those who ask but we are to do this with gentleness and respect. An invitation to faith is extended out of love.
When the Holy Spirit has prepared a heart, the Spirit will let you know that the time is right to gently share the Gospel. If we force the issue when the time is not right, like my dear old peach tree, the outcome is not good. The possibility of a life of faith may be lost as a consequence of ill timing. We want to witness in a way that opens the doors of a heart to life in Christ. When sharing the Gospel, we must be careful not to handle the Word incorrectly, nor ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit to either move forward OR to stop at any time. Perhaps, we will just be preparing a heart so another person can share more later. Always witness with love and avoid speaking words that could turn a person away from knowing the love of God.
When the conditions and time are right, the result will be fruitful faith from God! A heart turned away from death through sin and turned toward life in Christ! Just as with my peach tree, I have to be prepared and ready to share faith at the proper time. When it does work out as hoped, the result is glorious. In terms of my peach tree in very early spring, the tree will be protected so that it can blossom and bear fruit. In terms of a heart, witnessing may lead to salvation bringing peace with God and eternal life!
