Be Prepared

“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” Col. 1:9-12

One thing you learn when you live on a farm is the importance of keeping your eye on the weather. It can mean the difference between a bumper crop and no crop. So too in our daily walk, it is helpful to keep our eyes on the condition of the circumstances which surround us. The storms of life may strike often, but they often give a warning.

What do you do when you recognize a thunderhead of trial blowing your way? Are you paralyzed by fear? Do you go to others to consult when it’s likely to hit? Do you compare this one to storms of the past and tremble at its fierceness? Do you hide? Or do you get busy and “batten down the hatches”?

Before rough times arrive, there are a few thins you can do to prepare for their coming. When they do come, you’ll be better prepared to cope with them.
- Remove any hindrance in your life. Keep right with God
- Resolve to keep balanced in your judgment. Don’t panic.
- Recognize that your hope is in Christ. Rest in Him.
- Resist the temptation to return to your former lifestyle.
- Realize that holiness is the only acceptable goal for the believer.

The Boy Scouts’ motto cautions Christians as well: “Be prepared.”