Defend Your Faith

By theteachersdevotional3 hours ago

Core Scripture: “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15)

Message: It happens to all Christians. At a time you least expect it, you will be asked a question to defend your faith …

Why does a loving God allow pain and heartache? How do you know there is a heaven? Are all Christians homophobic? How do you know the events of the Bible are actually true?

Ever been there? I certainly have. Sometimes it comes from another believer who is going through a rough patch in life. Like my brother in Christ, Michael.

Imagine, if you can, having lived through the following brushes with death …

As a young kid, Michael was kidnapped by a criminal only to be rescued when the cops stopped the guy’s car down the road.
Michael survived three years in Vietnam, manning a machine gun on a boat.
Michael was blown off an aircraft carrier near dusk, landing in the ocean. He treaded water for nine hours in shark infested waters until they spotted him the next morning.
When Michael was overseas with a Navy friend, they spotted a house that was on fire. They entered the smokey door when screams were heard, risking their lives to save two women trapped inside.
Due to side effects from Agent Orange in Vietnam, Michael has endured numerous health scares, including brain seizures and cancer.
Michael survived two car crashes within the last few years when he blacked out due to having a brain seizure while driving. Sadly, this led him to lose his license in 2024.
When you lose your license, you lose your freedom. Michael went through some severe mental health struggles leading up to the summer of 2024. That summer I asked if I could write a book about his life, and Wisdom From a Warrior was published in the Library of Congress Veterans Project in 2025.
A heart attack can take you out in one swoop. Michael has survived them all. Numerous times.

If you sat Michael down, he could probably add more to the list. It very much reminds me of Paul listing his near-death experiences in 1 Corinthians 11. Michael reminds me of a cat. They have nine lives, you know? Well, my good friend may be on his last life now. Cancer has a firm grip on him.

Michael is not one to give up. He is a fighter, and his last few months have been filled with blood transfusions and chemotherapy appointments. He called me from the hospital yesterday, telling me he had gained over 20 pounds. I thought this was good news—until he said it was all fluid from his latest chemo treatment. The doctors were draining that fluid, and he has to run to the bathroom every five minutes.

I cannot imagine going through this. Michael has taken it pretty hard. His faith has been wavering. Pretty sure mine would as well. Wouldn’t yours? But Michael hit rock bottom about a month ago, losing belief in the promise of heaven.

I was taken aback. This didn’t sound like my friend! I tried answering his question of why God would allow this to happen to him, but I soon realized he didn’t need to hear scripture. He needed a friend to listen. And that is what I did. I listened. I sent him goofy Saturday Night Live videos. I took him out for coffee a few times and to my son’s basketball game. Anything to keep his mind off the cancer.

Yesterday I decided it was time to revisit our faith conversations. Just to take his spiritual temperature. It was then that I found out why he had lost his faith. The agitation in his voice was more than evident when he explained how an elder family member tried to tell him that God would cure him, and she did so in an arrogant, disrespectful way. This person likewise was not able to answer Michael’s question …

Why would God allow this to happen to him?

I look at the core scripture above. We must have our defense ready to go; however, we MUST do this “with gentleness and respect.” Be a good listener. Hear their pain. Don’t think that you have all the right answers, and watch the tone of your voice. Be gentle. Respectful.

No wonder Michael lost his faith!

In our phone conversation, I asked if Michael had heard of the story of Job. He said he hadn’t, so I summarized it for him, focusing on how Job questioned God but ended up keeping his faith. Of course, the happy ending where Job ends up getting blessed twice as much as before was needed. Especially after hearing about the trials he endured.

Emotion racked my voice as I said, “Michael, you are a modern day Job. Cancer may take you, but you have a glorious place called heaven awaiting you.”

“How do you know that?”

His question came briskly. I replied the only way I knew how.

“Because I have faith that it is there.”

I went on to recite my favorite scripture from Revelation: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:4). It is the most comforting scripture I have memorized to minister to those who have lost loved ones, but this time it was being used to speak truth to someone getting ready to meet his maker.

Michael appreciated the encouragement, and my heart rejoiced when he said his faith had been healing over the past month. Rooted in her faith, his wife had been visiting him at the hospital, reciting passages of scripture to encourage him.

I know I will continue writing about Michael here as his time comes near. Would you do me a favor and pray for him? I realize that every conversation I have with him could be my last, so it looks like my only choice is to relish every second I have left with him.

Every breath you take is a gift from God. Live life today. Be intentional. Cherish moments with friends and family. Refuse to be that person just going through the motions, lacking passion and purpose. Choose to LIVE!

Challenge: Have you thought about how you would answer the hard questions in the second paragraph above? Practice your responses. Journal about them if you need to. Discuss them in a group of Christians where you can get multiple perspectives on how to respond.

Bible study: Journal about or discuss the following questions about the book of Job …

How did Job respond to his trials in chapters 1 and 2?
How did Job’s wife respond to his trials in chapter 2?
Did Job’s friends comfort him or agitate him?
If you were in Job’s shoes, how would you feel?
Can you empathize with any of Job’s struggles?
How did God confront Job?
What was Job’s response?
After Job repented, how did God bless him?
How is your life like Job’s?
What are the benefits of enduring hardships and pain?

Song application: “Even If” by Mercy Me

They say sometimes you win some
Sometimes you lose some
And right now, right now I’m losing bad
I’ve stood on this stage night after night
Reminding the broken it’ll be alright
But right now, oh right now I just can’t

It’s easy to sing
When there’s nothing to bring me down
But what will I say
When I’m held to the flame
Like I am right now

I know You’re able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don’t
My hope is You alone

Looking for an encouraging movie to watch with the family? I Can Only Imagine 2 is now in theaters, and it tells the story behind this song. I have not had the opportunity to see it yet, but I certainly plan to. Check out the trailer here.

Just for fun: Need a laugh? Michael knew I did, and he sent me this video a few weeks ago. I can promise you, the drivers I know at Amazon do NOT treat packages this way!