Faith Prepping for a Hurricane

Do you love a good storm? I think for me it’s that perfect excuse to stop doing all the normal, boring things and focus on getting prepared for, in my case, a hurricane. But what about the spiritual storms that are sure to come. Are you faith prepping for a hurricane?

Do you prepare for storms?

For you, it might be that tornado warning that makes you stop everything, gather flashlights and head to the basement. For my kids, it was almost fun! Pop some popcorn, start scrolling through Netflix and wait for impending disaster. Also, it’s typically at night so there’s the added bonus of having an excuse to stay up late! My kids definitely loved that.

Please hear me on this, I know that many of you have been through terrible storms and I don’t want to make light of that. I have spent my life in Arkansas, Kansas and Kentucky. Tornadoes can be devastating. I simply think as humans, we really get into the storm prepping but we don’t get too excited about preparing for the spiritual storms that are sure to happen.

Prepping for Jesus

One thing is certain, God tells us to be prepared. Remember the story of the young ladies waiting for the bridegroom to come. They needed to keep their lamps trimmed and not run out of oil? Some of them ran out of oil and had to go get more. They missed the wedding party stopping by to pick them up. They missed their opportunity. Usually when we read this scripture, we associate it with Jesus return. We definitely need to be always anticipating his return. But I also think this story shows us that we need to be prepared for the hurricanes we may encounter in the meantime.

I wonder sometimes why I can get so excited preparing for a storm, but fail to have that enthusiasm in my spiritual prepping. I guess, truth be told, I don’t like the preparations as much as the general buzz of activity and bonding that occurs. For instance, chatting with fellow neighbors as we grab the last gallons of milk binds us to each other in a very specific way. We have a shared purpose and mission.

Think about the words purpose and mission. Those two words say so much about who we are and what is most important to us. So, how does that play out for us as Christians? Faith prepping for the storms ahead means we have to focus on our purpose and mission.

As I’m writing this, my phone alerted me that the hurricane watch we are currently under has been upgraded to a hurricane warning. Unlike my neighbors, this is our first rodeo. We don’t know much about getting prepared for a hurricane and what to expect. But our mission is to stay safe and we will purposefully set out to do that. Last night, we went ahead and grabbed lots of water and a few groceries to start prepping for the hurricane. Do we need to put up the shutters? Should we leave? These things will become more apparent as the storm gets closer.

But back to faith prepping for a hurricane. Isn’t it even more important to be ready for whatever dark clouds Satan has looming in our path? Likewise, are we ready to take action when God is calling us to do difficult things. Undoubtedly, these storms have much greater consequence on our lives. I think to be prepared for the hurricanes ahead, we have to be crystal clear on our purpose and mission.

However, our mission as a Christ follower isn’t quite the same as the mission for surviving a hurricane in Florida. First of all, we don’t want to evacuate! Running away from spiritual storms doesn’t work out too well. It certainly didn’t for Jonah. Whether God is calling us to do something, or Satan is tempting us to do something, I think they both can be called a spiritual storm that can catch us off guard if we aren’t prepared.

Secondly, our mission isn’t to stay safe. The apostles are the perfect example of pursuing their mission of spreading the gospel. They went to places that weren’t safe. Sometimes there was horrible consequences, including death. But they went anyway. They were on a mission and knew their purpose. We live in a society that places safety over everything. Covid really brought it to light, but I think the craving for safety above faithfulness to God’s purpose has been building for generations. It’s what kept fellow Germans from speaking out when the Nazis first started persecuting the Jews. It started off with an arm band and ended in a death camp.

Mission and Purpose

The word mission in today’s world might make you think of a company or church, and their “mission” statement. But actually, it comes from the Latin word mittere which means “to send”, it turned into missio and then by the 16th century we have the word mission. Mission literally meant “to send the Holy Spirit into the world”. Maybe it’s time to get back to this root meaning in our own lives.

So, what about the word purpose? Purpose means “the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc.” It also means “an intended or desired result; end; aim; goal “. In other words, why do we do what we do.

Heading Into a Storm

One thing is for sure. Just like hurricanes are sure to happen in Florida, storms are brewing in our own life as well. To gear up for storms that can attack you spiritually, mentally and physically, you’ve got to know your purpose and mission. When we are faith-prepping for the hurricane, God will guide us right through the eye of any storm we may encounter. We don’t want to be caught off guard. I hope this reference will help you get the idea! We need to be faith-ready.

Getting prepared for storms can look a little different for each of us. I could give you a cookie cutter sample of what to do, but the reality is that we are all in different places in our faith. If you aren’t preparing, then now is the time. If you are already prepping, keep going, stretching yourself to seek out God and follow him wherever he is taking you next. Listen for the nudge from the Holy Spirit to do hard things and lean on others when Satan is crashing down on you.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 

Ephesians 6:10-18

Are You Ready?

Hurricane season is upon us. I was just at the beach on Saturday enjoying nice warm water. Hurricanes love that same warm water. I guess I’m just trying to warn you that sometimes when things in our life are feeling great is when Satan likes to spin a storm in our life. Be diligent in your preparations and God will give you what you need, right when you need it most.

You are precious in his sight,