Preparedness: A Biblical Perspective

If you’re working on preparedness {stocking up and storing up}, I want to encourage you to strive to keep a Biblical perspective.

I’ll be the first to admit, it is a constant struggle, and I must renew my mind through His Word and prayer every single day.

Preparedness: A Biblical Perspective

As followers of Christ, we are told to have an eternal perspective on life. My mind goes to Colossians 3, Philippians 4, as well as many of the Psalms.

And when/if you start digging into the world of preparing {or prepping, as some call it}, you’ll see some people using current situations in the world to invoke an unhealthy fear.

“No one is coming to save you. You must save yourself.” Yes, I’ve actually heard someone say this.

You’ll also see the term self-sufficient everywhere. And while I think I understand what they probably mean by that, I also understand that self-sufficient isn’t in the Bible anywhere. We are told to be reliant on an All-Sufficient God.

If you’re in this struggle with me, it really is a fine line between two worldviews or perspectives. Worldy and Biblical.

 

 

I want to take a minute to share a few things about a preparedness from a Biblical perspective.

Please hear my heart. I have NOT achieved a perfect Biblical perspective. I will never be fully sanctified this side of Heaven. But my goal is to see everything through the lens of God and His Word, even getting prepared.

 

1. Reliance on God {not on self}

We are told over and over again in Scripture to rely on God. He is our Strength. He is our Joy. He is our Hope.

If you’ve ever studied the history of the Israelites in the Old Testament, you know that they were a forgetful people who often turned to idols and earthly “wisdom” instead of God. {Just read the book of Judges.}

And while we might be tempted to judge them for it, we can do the exact same thing.

Sure, we may not build gold or wooden statues and bow down to them. But the idea of self-sufficiency can make us the idol. We’ve got the answers. We’ve got the solutions. We are prepared.

Oh, and then there’s God…Yeah, I guess He can help me somehow…

I don’t want to trust in myself or the things I have or can do. I want my ultimate trust to be in my Heavenly Father. {Proverbs 3:5-7, Psalm 121}

 

2. Storing Treasures in Heaven {not on Earth}

It can be super tempting to have a feeling of “security” by the things I’ve stockpiled or stored. But Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:19-21 to store up our treasures in Heaven where rust and moths cannot destroy it.

I could have an entire house full of food that will last my family years. But guess what? It could all get destroyed by a fire tomorrow. It could be washed away in a flood next week. It could be destroyed by mice or mold.

Is that where I’ve placed my hope? Is my “stash” my savior? {See Psalm 20:7}

 

 

3. Preparing {without worrying}

When I first starting talking to my husband about being more prepared, he challenged me to think about my motives. Was I preparing out of a place of fear and worry or was I fully trusting God for tomorrow? {See Matthew 6:25-34}

That really got my wheels spinning. I turned to Genesis 41 and read the story of Joseph and the famine. Nowhere did I read that Joseph was worried. Or that Joseph was scared.

He just prepared, trusting that God was ultimately in charge. Do I do the same?

 

4. Spiritual Preparedness {not just physical}

Being physically prepared reminds me to ask questions like:

• Am I spiritually prepared? {Romans 6:23}
• Am I prepared for His second coming? {Luke 21:34-36}
• Am I prepared to give an answer to those who ask about my Hope? {1 Peter 3:15-16}
• Am I actively sharing the Gospel with others so they can be prepared? {Matthew 28:18-20}

Physical preparedness is temporal. Spiritual preparedness is eternal.

 

How are you doing with your perspective on preparedness? Feel free to share in the comments!

 

Enjoy homesteading!
~Becky

 

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