To Prep Or Not To Prep
Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. (1 Sam 17:40)
David (who would battle and defeat the Philistine mentioned in the scripture above) was a man of faith. His faith rested squarely and solidly on God. Difficult circumstances and situations like the ones we face today can cause us to ponder our faith and what it should look like and act like in times like these. And times like these may cause us to ask questions like this,
"Should I prep for the possible (or certain, some may say) coming demise of our society as we know it?"
"If I gather and stock up on food and supplies, am I showing lack of trust in God? Isn’t He my provider? And what does that mean?"
"Did not God give me two hands and the foresight to prepare? Shouldn’t I use the ability He has given to be ready?"
Or you may already be decided and have already answered those questions for yourself. Your conviction is admirable. But still, these questions are good questions, albeit, they may not be the right question. And we must be careful as to how we address this moral quandary. So, here are some thoughts, not criticisms, not pontifications, but just some thoughts that I pray will encourage you as you walk with Jesus on this dark forest path.
I believe the real question, the underlying query that needs to be answered to be able to move in confidence during this time is, “What have you placed your trust in?” That may seem simplistic or irritating. I apologize if it does. This question can be elaborated upon,
Is your confidence in your foresight and the supplies you have gathered? Is your underground bunker your hope for protection and safety. Or perhaps you’re sitting on the other side of practicality. I have a question for you as well, is your confidence in your restraint and magnanimous declaration of trust in God alone? It’s an insidious and easy path to wander on to - trusting in what God has provided instead of in the God who has provided. I know I can easily lose my focus.
But God has a way of humbling us and shifting our confidence to where it really should be. No matter the object of our pride, whether of religious notions of what it means to have faith in God or whether in adherence to “prepper” guidelines and philosophies. Either is shifting sand when it replaces the Solid Rock.
So what does faith look like in regards to practical living? I believe the scripture I opened up with gives us valuable insight into the sometimes apparent oxymoron of faith and works, or trust and action. David knew His God and He knew who he was. He had full confidence in God’s ability to defeat the giant through him. Yet he gathered five stones. Five. Why not just one? Didn’t he trust that God could defeat the enemy with just one stone? No, he didn’t. He trusted that God could use him to bring victory to his brothers, to Israel regardless of the stone count. He did what he would normally do with full trust in God. And God gave him success, not because he took one stone or five stones, but because he knew his God and trusted Him.
And I think it’s important during this time that we understand that each of us may have a different approach to the same situation. But we must not divide and we must not criticize, and in a time and environment where opinion flourishes, let His words be our guide and master,
Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. (Romans 14:4)
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. (Romans 14:13)
Whether you consider yourself religious, pragmatic, a mix of the two, or none of the above (who likes to be categorized or categorize themselves?), you can remember the source of all that you have; for a man’s life does not exist in what he posses or owns but rather our life comes from the One who promised it abundantly.
Scripture References
And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. (Romans 15:2)
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:26)
Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. (1 Sam 17:40)
David (who would battle and defeat the Philistine mentioned in the scripture above) was a man of faith. His faith rested squarely and solidly on God. Difficult circumstances and situations like the ones we face today can cause us to ponder our faith and what it should look like and act like in times like these. And times like these may cause us to ask questions like this,
"Should I prep for the possible (or certain, some may say) coming demise of our society as we know it?"
"If I gather and stock up on food and supplies, am I showing lack of trust in God? Isn’t He my provider? And what does that mean?"
"Did not God give me two hands and the foresight to prepare? Shouldn’t I use the ability He has given to be ready?"
Or you may already be decided and have already answered those questions for yourself. Your conviction is admirable. But still, these questions are good questions, albeit, they may not be the right question. And we must be careful as to how we address this moral quandary. So, here are some thoughts, not criticisms, not pontifications, but just some thoughts that I pray will encourage you as you walk with Jesus on this dark forest path.
I believe the real question, the underlying query that needs to be answered to be able to move in confidence during this time is, “What have you placed your trust in?” That may seem simplistic or irritating. I apologize if it does. This question can be elaborated upon,
Is your confidence in your foresight and the supplies you have gathered? Is your underground bunker your hope for protection and safety. Or perhaps you’re sitting on the other side of practicality. I have a question for you as well, is your confidence in your restraint and magnanimous declaration of trust in God alone? It’s an insidious and easy path to wander on to - trusting in what God has provided instead of in the God who has provided. I know I can easily lose my focus.
But God has a way of humbling us and shifting our confidence to where it really should be. No matter the object of our pride, whether of religious notions of what it means to have faith in God or whether in adherence to “prepper” guidelines and philosophies. Either is shifting sand when it replaces the Solid Rock.
So what does faith look like in regards to practical living? I believe the scripture I opened up with gives us valuable insight into the sometimes apparent oxymoron of faith and works, or trust and action. David knew His God and He knew who he was. He had full confidence in God’s ability to defeat the giant through him. Yet he gathered five stones. Five. Why not just one? Didn’t he trust that God could defeat the enemy with just one stone? No, he didn’t. He trusted that God could use him to bring victory to his brothers, to Israel regardless of the stone count. He did what he would normally do with full trust in God. And God gave him success, not because he took one stone or five stones, but because he knew his God and trusted Him.
And I think it’s important during this time that we understand that each of us may have a different approach to the same situation. But we must not divide and we must not criticize, and in a time and environment where opinion flourishes, let His words be our guide and master,
Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. (Romans 14:4)
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. (Romans 14:13)
Whether you consider yourself religious, pragmatic, a mix of the two, or none of the above (who likes to be categorized or categorize themselves?), you can remember the source of all that you have; for a man’s life does not exist in what he posses or owns but rather our life comes from the One who promised it abundantly.
Scripture References
And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. (Romans 15:2)
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:26)
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