Wednesday Word with the Pastors
Jan. 25, 2012
“Prepare your work outside, get everything ready for you in the field; and after that build your house” (Proverbs 24:27).
The other day the Teter family woke up late. We ate breakfast late. Our kids got ready for school late. We got in the car late. We arrived at school late. And, no one enjoyed it! We were unprepared for the beginning of the day and thus we were stressed. Our stress was manifest in how we encountered and talked to one another. We were not prepared, and on account of that, the beginning of the day was not pleasant.
This is what happens when we are unprepared for what is to come. Our capacity to enjoy what is before us is diminished. Our ability to see the grace of God in the moment is overtaken by the anxious eye that only sees all that can go wrong. Without preparation we are frantic, frustrated, and shut in upon ourselves.
Today, the Teter family was better prepared. We woke up at a more reasonable time. We ate breakfast earlier. The kids got ready earlier. And, yes, our daughter was not the last child to open the school doors! On the drive to the church I was able to appreciate the blessings of God’s grace that I saw all around me – that we had food to eat, health, gas in the car, a car to drive, grass upon the ground, fruitfulness, that God is at peace with me, God’s word, the promise that everything will be brought towards the good in the lives of those who love God, Jesus Christ! The list could go on.
Preparation – getting ready for what is ahead – is work. It uses your energy. It can make you tired. But, the result of preparation is a tremendous blessing: the capacity to enjoy what you had prepared for! When you are prepared you are able to see the grace of God surrounding you in all things.
How can you prepare for what is ahead? Well, some circumstances are difficult to prepare for. They come upon you unexpectedly and powerfully. They test you with severity. Nonetheless, there is a way to prepare for even these moments: Wake up each day and give thanks to God; meditate upon a selection of scripture; pray to God to give you wisdom, to watch over you, and to show you what he wants for you in this day. This is spiritual preparation. And this kind of preparation will help you through the day; it will give you the courage to encounter the day; it will give you the capacity to look for God’s grace in all things; it will open up your life to joy instead of anxiety.
Prepare yourself spiritually, and may you see the grace of God in Jesus Christ surrounding you in all things.
Peace,
Aaron Teter