September 15, 2018

I think we all have those moments in life, firmly fixed in our minds that we will never forget. One of those moments for me was from a time when I had a near-accident while flying a plane I had built. I had heard so many stories about landing gear not operating properly, but never thought it would happen to me! So, when I looked down during landing to see that only two of the three lights were appearing on my panel, the question that filled my mind was “How can this be happening to me?” This feeling can also come when we experience the loss of a job, loved one or receiving a diagnosis, just to name a few of the situations that cause us to think, “this can’t be happening to me!” 

In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus tells us that the rains and winds in life will come, whether we listen to him or not, they will come. I believe He is reminding us that we will all experience crisis at some point and there is an ending to every life. The rain is going to fall; the winds are going to blow; crises will happen.  We all believe things will never happen to us; but trust me, it will happen to all of us. We don’t have to live in fear or regret, though. Here are 3 questions to ask yourself to better prepare for the storms of life.

Question #1: Am I living a balanced life where I’m growing in faith?

Richard Boles wrote a book entitled, The Three Boxes of Life and How to Get Out of Them. If you think about it, if we’re not careful, we compartmentalize our lives. Boles said, “Wouldn’t it be great if when we were young we took time to learn work and contribute, but also to rest and play?” Balance applies to our spiritual lives as well. It’s easy to become complacent in your faith, the faith you developed as a child. Whether you’re 15, 40 or 80, you can continue to learn. Are you giving of yourself? Are you resting? Are you making time for daily devotionals? Do you take time to attend worship? Are you opening your heart to hear God speak so that he can bring balance into your life? 

Question #2: Am I learning to trust God’s grace to give me a new vision?

The rain is going to fall and the winds are going to blow; it will happen to each of us. Do you trust that when those times happen, God will give you a new vision for your life? The goal is not to achieve some perfect state, the goal is to trust God in every season and never quit. If you don’t give up, God will continue to give you a new vision.  

Question #3: Am I living a life of love?

This is really the secret to preparing for crisis and even preparing for death; to live a life of love. If you go back and read the Sermon on the Mount, it’s all about how to love God and how to love each other. Jesus said, “Whoever hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise person.” The first thing Jesus said when He came to the end of this life was, love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. If you’re going to be prepared for the crises in your life, make sure you are living a life of love. Living a life, based on love is what gets you ready for the hard times.