Be Prepared

Sadly, we live in a day where we must always have a prepared mind. It started in school when we would have tornado and fire drills. The idea is that when the alarm goes off, we know where to go and how to get there. Thankfully, we never had to do that for real, but one never knows. Things do not change as we grow older. We should still have a plan at home for fire and tornados, and when we are out, we must be on guard for those who might want to cause us harm. The point is we must always be prepared. To be prepared is to think through scenarios, ponder the what ifs, and cause and effects.

This is no different in the spiritual. As humans, we have three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil and all three are always out to get us. Even after one has accepted Jesus, the threat does not go away, so we must be prepared. We see this in I Peter 1:13, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” This is a call of obedience and endurance under hardship. We all understand that where the mind goes, there goes the rest of us. If we ignore God and His word and disregard His grace, we will soon find ourselves in a place we were never meant to be.

What does spiritual preparation look like? It must always begin with God’s word. We should not only read it but meditate upon what the Lord is saying to us and apply it to our lives. Second, we must spend time with other believers. Yes, it is learning from one another, but it is also having that sweet fellowship that refreshes and renews our spirit daily. I think the other thing we must do is to get involved in the lives of those who are hurting. It is a powerful thing to see the hand of God at work in the lives of the broken.

All of this begins with every new day deciding that we will follow Jesus. That is the preparing of the mind and with the preparing of the mind will come action. I leave you with this reminder or challenge. Just like the old fire and tornado drills, engrave in your mind what action you take when the world, the flesh, and the devil come looking for you. What is your decision-making process? What is your escape route? What will be your course of action?

If we do not plan and if we do not prepare, we could find ourselves caught in that spiritual disaster, and if we are caught in that spiritual disaster, how do we help others escape? So, be on alert, be prepared, and remember that you are precious in the sight of Jesus. Let us live that way.