Are You Ready?

In light of what has happened in Alberta and the world over the past few years, emergency preparedness must be at the forefront of our minds. Floods, fires (just to name a couple), and of course a pandemic ought to make us realize that although we are not in ultimate control, we can be better prepared for these things should they come our way.

The purpose of this blog is not necessarily to give you a step-by-step plan on how to be prepared. Previous blog posts have done this and if you are familiar with our CERT training, you are aware that there it is an avenue you can (and should) pursue to help your communities during these times. If you're a leader in your local church, contact me also about our Faith Emergency Preparedness Initiative. In my weekly responsibilities, a major part of my conversations with churches have included what it means to be prepared for their communities.

So, are you ready?

Preparedness, as a general topic doesn't just relate to the physical emergencies around us. In fact, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "prepare" as the action "to make ready beforehand for some purpose, use, or activity." There are many tasks that people prepare for. We prepare for the day by waking up, having a shower, and eating a healthy breakfast. We prepare for having a child by buying the proper equipment and we prepare to buy a house by having the proper down payment as well as financial approval from our institution.

But what about eternally? It is perhaps far easier to think about preparing for the things that we can see with our physical eyes around us and perhaps it's even easier to understand what it means to be prepared for with the various disasters that we encounter in our world, but how often do we think about the eternal?

Jesus has a few things to say about preparedness. Take a read.

"Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." - Matthew 24:44

Later on in the New Testament, the Apostle John says, "And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming." - 1 John 2:28

Preparedness is not simply and only a topic relating to the disasters in our world. It is a topic that reaches to even our eternal consequences and the Bible is full of it.

For the Apostles, after they saw Jesus ascend into heaven, they are told this, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)

Christians have been waiting for Christ to come back since that day and although we wait, we do not do so with a lack of preparedness. Christian preparedness is not about simply waiting and not doing anything. Instead, John tells us to "abide in him." Christian preparedness is full of action.

Thankfully, Jesus tells us what it means to abide in him (John 15:1-16) and we know that he is coming again.

Titus 2:11-14, "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."

Preparedness is not just a good thing, it is a vital thing.

Jesus again in Matthew 24:42, tells us, "Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." Stay awake! Be ready!

Jesus is not just our present King, he is our coming King! Be prepared.

So, are you prepared? For both the temporal and the eternal?

Search the Scriptures for guidance, ask God for wisdom (James 1:5), and do all you can, while you wait to be prepared for the coming of both Christ and the next disaster.

If you have questions about Bridges of Love, we would love to talk with you. Give us a call, send us an email, or contact us through the website. Also, if you can spare a few minutes, read our previous blog that came out last week.