“I don’t do it much any more,” Stan commented, “but I used to play golf with some guys fairly regularly. It was a casual game and we always played ‘ready golf’,”
“Whoever was ready would hit the ball regardless of who was furtherest from the hole?” I replied.
“That’s it,” Stan said. “And there was this one guy who always said that the problem with his golf game was that he was never ready to hit his ball!”
“However,” he continued, “this guy was always ready to do what the apostle Peter wrote about in his first letter.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“To share his faith,” Stan replied. “To be ready to make a defense to anyone who asked about his faith and hope.”
“That’s probably a good thing,” I commented.
“Probably?” Stan asked with a smile. He continued, “This fellow once told me that the reason he’s always ready now is that once he wasn’t ready when someone asked him about his faith and he always regretted not having an answer.”
“Regretted? How? Why?”
“That he missed the opportunity to have an eternal impact on that person who asked, as well as the possibility of having an impact on changing that person’s life on this side of eternity.”
“So he used that regret to build on being ready?” I replied. “Is that it?”
“That’s it,” Stan said, “and I think being ready is to be the same for each one of us. Be ready, knowing that there may not be time to get ready when the questions come, and by not being ready there may be missed opportunities.”
“As well,” I commented, “how about the idea that a ready person doesn’t have to get ready?”
“Good point, my friend,” Stan replied. “If I’m always ready I don’t have to be concerned that I will miss my turn, whether it’s about golf or other people’s eternal destination or their lives on this side of eternity. I am to be ready. Period!”
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Bible verses to consider:
But sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart, always being ready to make a defense to every one who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. 1 Peter 3:15.
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person. Colossians 4:6.
And the Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 2:24-25.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for those people you brought into my life to tell me of their faith and hope in you. Because they were ready to do what you had for them to do, I was presented with the truth I could accept and change my eternal destination to be with you forever when it’s time. I confess that too often I am not ready to present the truth so it may make a difference in lives and eternal destinations. Please forgive me. And please, Father, help me follow every step of your lead so I am ready to make a difference for you and your kingdom. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Are you ready so that you know you will be in God’s eternal presence when your time here is completed? If no, why? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with being ready to share your faith with people God brings into your life? Are you as ready as you would like? As ready as God would like? If you sense the need for change in how you are ready, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 