It’s been over a month since the World Cup began. Finally, tomorrow at 3am, the final that roughly 1.8 billion or more people worldwide are watching will take place! Beyond who will ultimately win the championship, the players’ individual performances on the field and each team’s overall strategy have been hot topics of discussion among viewers. Some schools in Singapore have even postponed Monday’s class start time because of this final. Although only one team will win the championship, every team and every player is already a champion in their own right. Each match is a display of skill made possible only through the countless hours of effort, perseverance, and sacrifice put in by these players and coaches. In every contest, each team carries the hopes of their nation and countrymen, striving to bring honour to their country. Among the many teams, big and small, while there is no shortage of individually charismatic star players, what’s even more valuable is the team spirit—bringing out a harmonious picture of teammates working together in unity, advancing and retreating together toward a common goal. While the world goes crazy for football, what’s worth being thankful for is that among the players are a small group who trust in Jesus, and they bravely bear witness for the Lord Jesus in their own positions. Some players pray together before and after matches; some publicly thank God and give Him glory in their own way after scoring a goal. Beyond being an expression of personal faith in the Lord Jesus, they are also intentionally lifting up Jesus in the sight of the world, bearing witness for the Lord within their own sphere of influence. Their actions have earned praise from Christians, but have also met with opposing voices. In a world increasingly opposed to biblical truth and resistant to Jesus, these players’ courageous witness is an example to us. How many of us dare to testify, in front of non-believing bosses or colleagues, how God has helped us solve problems at work? Of course, we shouldn’t be people who only thank Jesus with our mouths while our lives bear no witness. May the Lord give us wisdom and courage to bear witness for Him.
“But 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, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (1 Peter 3:15-16). In the apostle Peter’s time, Christians also lived in a generation that resisted the gospel. It was common for Christians to face persecution for their faith. Even in such an unfavourable environment, what Christians ought to do is still to fear God, live a holy life, and not give up their faith—while also being ready at all times to defend their faith and testify of Jesus through peaceful, proper means and good conduct. Singapore is a country with freedom of religion, but it is also a secularised society. Openly expressing one’s faith sometimes draws strange looks from non-Christians. Even so, when our hearts overflow with a peace and joy that transcends suffering—because they are filled with hope in and reliance on the Lord Jesus—the non-Christians around us may become curious or puzzled. We can then seize such opportunities to share with them more about the reason for the hope behind our peace and joy, bringing out biblical values. This lets them see that the Christian faith and biblical values are not impractical ideas, but rather a life force that they too need. Peter reminds us that in the process of sharing, we should carry an attitude of gentleness and respect toward the other person. The focus of sharing is not to tell the other person “you’re wrong, I’m right,” nor is there a need to argue about anything—rather, it’s about genuinely sharing, with love, how the Lord Jesus has helped us in our lives, sharing His loving-kindness. This kind of sharing of faith doesn’t require us to step outside our own circle of life, but it does require us to step outside our comfort zone within our own position, and to be well prepared to share the Lord Jesus with the people we come into contact with.
I recently had the opportunity to attend a missions conference organised by a medical missions organization. The attendees were mainly doctors from around the world. Among them, some use their medical skills to travel long-term to remote tribal areas, treating illnesses while spreading the gospel. Others choose to stay in their own countries, in their own communities, very consciously using their medical work to bear witness for the Lord to patients and colleagues. Some use their medical research to advocate for initiatives grounded in biblical values as an ethical foundation—including issues such as euthanasia, gender-reassignment surgery, homosexuality, genetic modification, and climate change. Different countries and communities face different challenges in spreading the gospel. What these Christians have in common is that they are all actively bearing witness for the Lord in their own positions. An African general practitioner shared that when seeing patients, she first makes it a point to be polite and friendly to them, and is willing to spend extra time listening to their concerns. Sometimes this creates an opportunity to pray for the patient, pointing them toward Jesus. Are you and I also, in our own positions, ready at all times to share the testimony of our faith with love, gentleness, and respect? “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).