A few years ago, I was living in Brisbane with a newborn baby and a toddler when it flooded. The floods were awful as dozens of people died and many lost their homes and businesses. I went out to buy milk one day for my little one and there were food shortages in the store.
Going shopping was like a scene from an apocalyptic movie with the bare shelves. It was in that scary moment that I realized that I wanted to be prepared for the next time so I started to prepare.
Turning on the news, we are bombarded with the natural and man-made devastation that are happening around the world. We also see the panicked people as they try to prepare a few days before the storm hits and they arrive to stores that have empty shelves. It is wise to plan and to be prepared so that you are not scrambling last minute and you can even help out others who weren’t able to prepare.
Did you know that governments recommend families have enough supplies to last at least a 72-hour emergency? I live in California now and we are told to have an earthquake / fire kits for our home as well as in our cars as these emergencies can literally happen at any moment.
I urge you to do up a family emergency kit. Look at where you live, what disasters are known threats for your area and check your local government websites to see what they recommend you need. A basic emergency list can be found here. Be prepared for a basic emergency.
Prepare your heart
Saying all this, the most important thing we need to do is prepare our hearts. Jesus told us in Matthew chapter 24, verse 6-8 “that there will be wars, famines, and droughts” as we approach the day of His return. It isn’t global warming that is causing all these disasters, it is God’s plan, the birth pains as we get closer and closer.
Philippians chapter 4, verse 6 tells us“that we should not be anxious about anything”, that we need not fear the future. We need to put our trust in the Lord. The truth is we do not know what tomorrow will bring, make sure your relationship with the Lord and your family is right. We do not know when or where they will happen, we have been only told they will.
Instead of worrying if or when it will happen let us cling to Lord who is sovereign over all the earth. Spend time daily in the word, get to know the attributes of God so you are better ready to handle the trials of life.
Our trust is not in our preps
At the end of the day our trust is not in our emergency supplies but rather in the Lord Jesus. You may be prepared for every possible event, but you aren’t even home when it happens, or a big flood knocks your house down.
The Lord is in control and we need to trust Him. When we put our trust into something else that thing becomes our idol. Prepping is not to consume our every thought. Make a kit or two but it isn’t supposed to become a lifestyle where you move to the middle of nowhere to be safe in case poop hits the fan. We are called to be a light here in the darkness, not to isolate ourselves.
Prepare to give an answer
When the floods, earthquakes and wars come we have the answer the world needs. We have a hope no matter what. In James chapter1, verse 2, we are told “consider it pure joy my brothers, when you face trials of many sorts.” No, we are not to be happy when the disaster hits us however we are called to lean on the Lord and He is our supply and He will help us through the trial which will make us more like Him.
I have a friend who recently lost her husband and she is now a widow with 2 young children, she is so full of the joy of the Lord that it is inspiring and contagious to those around her. People can’t help but ask what is different in her life than theirs. She has every reason to be depressed, yet she truly praises the Lord through her circumstances for she knows that they are drawing her closer to Christ and that He is using it for His glory.
Whether an emergency hits you or somewhere in the world, take time to share the gospel, be prepared to give an answer for the hope you have. Our hope is not in this dying world but in Christ. A great clip to have a on God’s thoughts about tragedy is this one by Todd Friel.
We need to remember that God is control and He does things to bring glory to His son, Jesus. Unfortunately, it takes sometimes awful events to turn people’s hearts towards God.
Be prepared to love people after emergency strikes, help your neighbors out, listen to their stories, encourage them, but most importantly point them to God, their lives depend on it. We are called to be good neighbors, so show compassion that is fueled by the love of Christ.
Genevieve Wilson is a happily married home-schooling mum of 3, whose passion is to see people come to know Jesus. She is a seminary wife to her amazing husband.
Genevieve Wilson is Canadian. a happily married home-schooling mum of 3, whose passion is to see people come to know Jesus. She is a seminary wife to her amazing husband.