ARE YOU READY?

Ready for what? Good question. Being that this is a “Prep” site, let’s pinpoint the five main areas that are an absolute must to be ready.

Moral and spiritual decline has gripped our nation and the world around us. Civil unrest is increasing everywhere and there is an ever-mounting number of wars and rumors of war.  Antisemitic and anti-Christian rhetoric has risen to astronomical levels.  Jews and Christians are being attacked and murdered by the hundreds and even thousands in several parts of the world. Threats of a nuclear disaster are in the news nearly every day. It doesn’t take a Bible scholar to see that God’s Word is coming into being just as it was written.  At the very least we are moving into unprecedented times.  What we do as followers of Christ is going to impact every life we touch when difficult circumstances arrive.

FIVE AREAS OF READINESS

1.      First, and foremost, is Spiritual Readiness.  Are you in the Word of God? Not just for educational purposes but to commune with God, getting to know Him intimately and understanding His ways. Daily, consistent reading of the Bible is an essential. Seek His peace, His wisdom, His strength, and His discernment. Lies and delusions of every kind will want to distract and divide us.  We must stay close to God and His Word or we will be swept away in the turmoil and be of little use to shine His light in the darkness.  The coming times will reveal our position in Christ.  Will we be ready?

2.      Financial Readiness.  Take a hard look at where you are financially.   What is your debt burden? Debt puts a strangle hold on our options and traps us in a vulnerable  position to others.  Credit card debt, car loans, home mortgages, and much more make us beholden to people and organizations who have no love for us and would not hesitate to ruin us financially to recoup any loss when we come on hard times.  A majority of families live paycheck to paycheck.  We must find a way break that cycle of debt.  Live frugally, below your means, pay off debt as soon as possible. Debt is a burden you do not want to carry into an uncertain future and can crush us when catastrophe hits.

3.      Mental/Emotional Readiness.  I put these two together because they are linked intrinsically.  Having a stable mental and emotional presence when the hard times come is critical to our ability to respond in a Godly way.  As our mind goes so do our emotions, as our emotions go so our mind is affected. They are both obviously tied to our spiritual condition and that is why it is number one on the list. Being mentally and emotionally strong helps us make good decisions.  It prevents us from acting impulsively.  Others will notice our stability and be comforted. Compassion, empathy, and charity go hand-in-hand with logic, reason and problem-solving. Fear is what disrupts this companionship, but preparation and faith cast out fear. As God told Joshua, “be strong and courageous”.  Joshua had a difficult challenge ahead but he was prepared and leaned on God for all he needed.

4.      Physical Readiness.  Keep in shape! Age, wear and tear, and various health conditions may limit us in some way but we can be in good physical condition as much as possible. Get outside, take a walk, tend a garden, ride a bike, go on a foraging hike, MOVE IT OR LOSE IT!!  Being in poor physical condition puts you in disastrous position when hard times come.  It limits what you do, where you can go and when you do it.  It may quickly be a liability to you and to others.  If over-weight begin a reasonable weight loss program.  Limited mobility? Test your limitations, exercise reasonably, expand where you can and you may be surprised at what you can do. Not many of us will ever be able to bench press 300 lbs. but we can expand our physical capabilities to be in a better position to help ourselves and others.

5.      Material Readiness. Turn on your water faucet.  99.99% of the time water comes out. What will you do when it doesn’t?  Turn on a light in your home.  Again, a vast majority of the time it comes on. What will you do when it doesn’t?  Go to the local supermarket and pick up some bread and milk.  Easy, no problem, until it is a big problem and the shelves are empty and no one knows when the next supply will be in.  OH NO! My neighbor was out in the yard working and collapsed.  Call 911, no answer, help is not on the way.

All the above, and many more, are very possible scenarios when catastrophe hits. Water, food, energy, and medical help are something we have taken for granted for decades.  It is generally at our fingertips.  What will you do when it isn’t?  In my next blog I will dive more.