Many of our activities are driven by necessity, yet the way we do them can be out of habit or because our parents did it that way, or perhaps out of convenience!
However, in some things the way we behave is driven by our view of the world, especially when it comes to matters of morality: lying, cheating, stealing, how we conduct relationships – are all shaped by what we believe.
Last Sunday morning we saw Moses from Deuteronomy ch 6 describe a situation where a child asks their adult:
“What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” (Deut 6:20)
The answer Moses proposed is striking because in vs 21-24 he tells the story of their past, the faithfulness of the LORD and how they got to be where they are. In other words, Moses says the answer to ‘why’ is to answer with their story, including their experience of the LORD.
That may sound rather confusing to someone who isn’t a Christian, but those of us who are Christians all have a story to tell of how we came to know the LORD. Indeed, it’s our ongoing experience of being loved by Him that should drive our day-to-day behaviour which in turn will cause people to ask us: ‘Why?’.
In the New Testament, the apostle Peter wrote:
“…in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..” (1 Peter 3:15)
The lesson is simple: when people notice you’re different and ask you why, don’t argue, tell them how you came to know the Lord and of His faithfulness.
Spencer Shaw