Genesis 37:9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
You can almost see the eyes rolling, can’t you? You would think that after their displeasure with the last dream he shared maybe he would think it less than wise to share this time, but here he goes. Joseph could have kept all of this to himself. After all, life was good … he was his father’s favorite and supervisor over his brothers. He had the big sleeves to prove it.
But this was truth and he had to share it, even though his brothers would roll their eyes at him, hate him and conspire against him. It was bold. We should be bold about telling others the truth.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
… is important.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
… is important.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
… is important.
Matthew 28:6 He is not here; for He is risen,
… is important
Romans 10:13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
… is important
We cannot be comfortable with anyone standing in the path of a speeding truck. If we believe they are in danger, we have to tell them, or it’s not truth to us. Christmas, Resurrection Sunday, breakfast, dinner … SALVATION … all these things present believers everywhere with an incredible opportunity (responsibility) to invite others to church and, by extension, invite them into a relationship with Jesus.
Matthew 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
1 Peter 3:15 – 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,
A couple of points here…
Many believers are unable to guide someone through scripture or even answer simple questions due to lack of serious study. Most don’t know their doctrines or distinctives of their faith. We all need to take our study seriously and continue in what He has begun in us. Think about this…if you knew as little about your job/career as you do the bible, would you be able to make a living? Or, would we starve to death? I am as much at fault as the next person here. I need to study more and show myself approved.
Secondly, is the last phrase of the verse – be gentle. It seems that when we “counsel or educate” we tend to go straight to chastising someone as if we are standing on higher ground being more sanctified than the person we are interacting with. We seem to forget that love is the approach. Personally, if someone starts in rudely – I discount everything they say from word one. In fact, many times I have walked away. Be gentle – it could be you on the receiving end the next time since we all blow it.
Knowing Christ and conducting ourselves with His character is how we meet the requirements of the first phrase in this verse – “Honoring Him in our hearts”.