Ready in and out of season to give an answer

Are you ready? Do you have an answer? In the season you are going through, no matter if it’s a time of highs or lows, you need to be ready to answer the hope that is within you. What would you say if someone asked? How would you respond if someone asked? What about if we changed it from if to when, are you ready to answer no matter the season of life you are going through? Consider this, what would you say when someone asks? How would you respond when someone asks? As we prepare for today, let’s make sure we are mentally, physically, and spiritually ready to answer because someone is going to ask and we need to be prepared.

Being Prepared Spiritually

"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, ESV)

As a dad, your relationship with God is foundational. If you aren’t spiritually prepared, it’s easy to fumble when asked about the hope that you carry. To answer in all seasons of life, we must first make Christ the center of our hearts. This means daily connecting with Him through prayer and the study of His Word, letting His truth fill our minds and actions. As you deepen your walk with God, He equips you to share the reason for your hope with your family and others in your life.

Key Takeaway: Your walk with God is the starting point for being ready to share your hope with others, especially your children and those who look to you for guidance.

Application: Start each day by setting aside time to pray and read Scripture. Ask God for wisdom and strength to be prepared to answer with humility and grace when someone asks you about your faith.

Ready to Answer in Your Marriage

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." 
(Ephesians 5:25, ESV)

Your relationship with your wife reflects Christ’s relationship with the church. When someone observes your marriage, they may ask about the source of your love and commitment. Are you ready to share that your love for your wife is rooted in Christ’s sacrificial love for the church? Just as Christ loved us, we are called to love our wives selflessly. Your example as a godly husband can speak volumes to your children and the world around you.

Key Takeaway: The way you love and serve your wife reflects the gospel to your family and others, and being ready to explain the source of that love can be a powerful testimony.

Application: Make time to invest in your marriage, showing your love through acts of service, patience, and understanding. When your children and others see the way you honor your wife, be prepared to explain that your love stems from your relationship with Christ.

Leading Your Children with Answers of Hope

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." 
(Proverbs 22:6, ESV)

Your role as a father is critical in shaping the faith of your children. They will inevitably have questions about life, God, and the world around them. Are you prepared to give them answers grounded in hope, truth, and love? Leading your children is not just about giving them rules but showing them why you believe in the gospel and how it affects every area of life. Equip them to face challenges by showing them that hope is found in God alone.

Key Takeaway: Fathers have the unique role of teaching and guiding their children in faith, and it’s essential to be ready to provide biblical answers that foster their spiritual growth.

Application: Take time to intentionally talk to your kids about your faith. Share stories from your own life where God has been faithful, and involve them in your spiritual journey through prayer, worship, and study of the Bible.

Impacting the World Through Your Faith

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." 
(Matthew 5:14, ESV)

Your readiness to give an answer isn’t just for your immediate family but for everyone who watches how you live. As dads, we have the opportunity to influence not only our families but also our communities and workplaces. The world around us is often looking for hope and purpose, and the way we live as followers of Christ can be a powerful testimony. Are you prepared to be a light in every season, even when the world around you is uncertain or chaotic?

Key Takeaway: As fathers, we are called to be lights in a dark world, and our readiness to share the gospel can impact those around us, pointing them to Christ.

Application: Be mindful of how your actions, words, and choices reflect your faith in Christ. Look for opportunities to share the hope that you have with coworkers, neighbors, and even strangers.

Ready in All Seasons

As dads, our readiness to give an answer begins with a strong relationship with God. When Christ is the center of our hearts, we are equipped to share the hope we have with our wives, children, and the world around us. Through love, service, and intentional discipleship, we reflect the gospel in our marriages and families. Our lives serve as testimonies to a watching world, and in every season—whether in moments of joy or hardship—we must be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is within us. May we live each day ready to share God’s truth with humility, grace, and love.

Final Application: Make a daily habit of prayer and Scripture reading, investing time in your relationships with your wife and children, and living out your faith with integrity. Be intentional about seeking opportunities to share the hope of Christ with others, knowing that God will give you the words to speak in every season.

Topic: A READY WORD

Verse: Ephesians 6:17

'Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.'

Let’s be the dads who walk boldly and courageously because we are walking with the one offensive weapon God provides us as part of His armor, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God!

Armored and Prepared: Becoming Well-Trained Warriors

Today’s devotional kicks off by speaking of “well-trained soldiers” and how they “know where to find appropriate weapons to fight their enemy.” Let’s be the dads who are well-trained warriors for our families and ensure we put on the full armor of God and carry with us in our hearts and minds, as well as physically, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God! It continues with the importance of needing to “store these weapons strategically in case retrieval is necessary in an instant.”

Guarding Ourselves: Insights from Ephesians 6

Today’s devotional then points us to Ephesians 6:10-20 to explain and express to us how we are to guard ourselves against Satan’s attacks.

'Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. '

Understanding Our Armor: The Importance of Each Piece

It goes on to explain how “Paul describes the full armor of God, calling attention to each piece and how it works” and how there is only “a single piece as an offensive weapon”. So let’s be prepared and ready by having the right equipment to be able to answer using the sword of the Spirit.

Responding in Battle: The Urgency of Scripture

Today’s devotional points to the reality of responding to temptations and conflicts. To fight temptation, “we need to take up that offensive weapon, the Word of God, in a heartbeat.” We need to be ready to answer because “some conflicts will require instant rebuttal.” Let’s be the dads who memorize and study the Word of God because we know that “only Scripture that has been committed to memory will be a ready weapon in this battle.” So let’s be ready because we know as today’s devotional says “in the midst of the conflict, applicable Scripture will stand at attention in our minds, called forward at the command of God’s Spirit to aid us.”

Equipped and Disciplined: Dads Ready for Spiritual Warfare

Today’s devotional closes out with the following challenge:

• Let’s be the dads who are ready, “never be weaponless when Satan attacks.”
• Let’s be the dads who are disciplined “to commit God’s Word to memory” so that “we’ll always have the sword of the Spirit at our immediate disposal.”

“The Bible is an armory of heavenly weapons.”

THOMAS GUTHRIE