I enjoy investing. Whether my 401k, stock market investments, the fascination with cryptocurrency, and the potential of startups. After discovering my risk tolerance, the research required to make educated guesses with a potential for some sort of future return is relaxing. Investment gurus and experts worldwide are talking about the future volatility and uncertainty of the market in light of inflation, rate hikes by the Fed, and other assorted variables. The general consensus I have seen is that investors should consider relatively stable investments during tumultuous times like market crashes or bubble bursts (Two examples given were the 2008 recession and the COVID-19 Pandemics affect the world market)*.
Disaster preparation and the unknown is a part of life. We are taught by financial and budget experts to prepare emergency funds, college funds, and a wide variety of financial advice to aid us for life, retirement, our future, and our loved one’s futures. Survival experts recommend having a supply of food and water and plans prepared for any variety of disasters that can strike the area. Insurance is there to provide us safety and security in case of the unknown and unexpected. We prepare for everything in life but do we devote enough time to preparing for the spiritual aspects of these physical realities?
We are prepared for a financial crisis, but are we prepared for the spiritual crisis within disaster? We may have health insurance, but that insurance will not help us spiritually when we find ourselves or our loved ones lying on the hospital bed with a life-threatening illness or condition. How prepared are we when the volatility of affliction strikes us? When the Lord seems distant, is His Word what comforts us in the difficulties of life, or is it non-stop YouTube videos to pass the time? When sin strikes, do we fight back with the Sword of the Spirit or flee to our mortal comforts?
Nothing concerning preparation for facing the day of trial, affliction, and sin is wasted. Every single sermon carefully listened and applied, verse memorized and understood, book read and comprehended, and biblical conversation with a brother or sister is something to be treasured and stored for the challenges we face daily. As Christians, we take our Lord and His Word seriously and understand that the commands of Scripture are all-encompassing to every aspect of life. Preaching and teaching of the Word is commanded in 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, implying that there has to be an audience of some sort to receive the preaching and teaching. If there are hearers, those hearers are responsible for applying and learning from the Word as taught (Ephesians 4:11-13; Colossians 1:9-10, 28; 3:16).
Additionally, we are to strengthen the relationships we have with fellow Christians so that we do not face these challenges alone (John 13:34-35; Galatians 6:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Romans 15:7; Ephesians 4:2; Romans 12:10; Ephesians 4:32; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; Hebrews 3:13: James 5:16). The Lord has given us great gifts; His Love, His Word, and His Church. Peter can state that we have all we need in 1 Peter 1:3, saying, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” Hope in the day of adversity, strength in the midst of the unknown, victory over sin are all in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. How we conduct ourselves in these things is based on the preparation and training leading to these events in our lives (Psalm 119; 2 Timothy 3:16). We must take every action and opportunity to prepare for the unknown and face it armed with the knowledge and strength that our Lord provides.
*I am not giving financial advice. I am using general consensus through my observations to illustrate the point of preparing for times of uncertainty and the unknown.
Theological Digressions 