April 30: 2 Peter 1 1-2

Key Verse: 2 Peter 1 1
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

Devotion:
How do you regard your faith and your relationship with Christ? Simon Peter starts off this letter by acknowledging the preciousness of his faith in Christ as Saviour and God. If we are not going to be up front with our beliefs then we are not going to pass on our beliefs to many people! One of the things Peter learned the hard way is being honest about God and about Christ, no matter what the circumstances are!

One of the most important lessons I learned as a Christian youth worker was to include young people in the conversation and not to talk at them. As teens go through school they are talked at by many teachers and they switch off to the words coming out of the teachers mouth, just because they are not being included. Mention a name or two and they refocus! But more important than mentioning people’s names when you talk with them is to include them in a conversation…

Peter is doing that here by inviting people to read who have received a faith as precious as his. That’s saying they are part of the same group of Christians and not an after thought or something akin to that! If you are going to talk to someone giving them an insight about Christianity, then talking about Christians as if they are separate from everyone will not win you any friends or ears! But saying something as simple as “as Christians we believe...” will include all Christians and will invite the person in too.

Jesus made sure God was included in discussions by making sure He mentioned God as being The Father or part of Him. There is that personal link being established which would make sure the disciples and other people listening would always think of God when they thought of Him.

Points to Ponder:
Do you talk with people are at them?

Will you talk with others about our friend and Saviour Jesus Christ?