Be Prepared (1)

Work hard so God can approve you.
2 Timothy 2:15


Moses spent 80 years preparing for a job that would last 40. That's a two-to-one ratio of preparation to execution. The greater the goal, the greater the preparation! Much of your life can be spent getting ready for what seems like a brief season and assignment. But to be able to say at the end, "I have finished my course" is to have lived successfully. And that's so whether you are called to run a marathon or a 100-metre sprint.
Before passing the torch to Timothy, Paul says, "Work hard so God can approve you." Who does God use? People who prepare well. Whether you're called to business, education, politics, art, medicine or ministry, this principle remains - God uses prepared people. The price tag required for long-term success cannot be lowered. We all want what successful people have, we're just not all willing to pay the price they paid to achieve it. You must be prepared when your opportunities come.
Abraham Lincoln said, "I will prepare and some day my chance will come." Benjamin Disraeli said, "The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his time when it comes." When the fate of the Jews hung in the balance, Mordecai told Esther that her experience in the king's palace had prepared her, "For such a time as this"
(Esther 4:14). She responded and the Jews were saved. All these people had talent, prepared themselves and made the most of their opportunities when they arose. So your greatest challenge is not lack of opportunity, but being ready when it comes.

Be Prepared (2)

Hold on to instruction... guard it well, for it is your life.
Proverbs 4:13


It's not enough to get prepared, you must stay prepared. We're being told that knowledge is doubling every five years. So if you don't keep growing, you'll end up with coping skills that no longer match the challenge you face in the world you live in. It's estimated that many doctors are so busy taking care of patients that they're years behind in the latest developments in their field. If you or a loved one gets ill that could become a real concern.
Preparation doesn't begin with what you do, it begins with what you believe. If you believe that success tomorrow depends on what you do today, you'll treat today differently. A wise sailor studies the weather before he goes to sea, because he knows that avoiding a storm is easier than getting out of one. Howard Coonley of the American National Standards Institute stated, "The leader of the future will be rated by his ability to anticipate problems rather than to meet them as they come."

Preparation is not merely an event, it's a perspective. Abraham Lincoln said, "If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe." As a young man Lincoln had split rails with an axe, so he knew the value of staying sharp. Wisdom always prompted him to prepare - whether he was getting ready to cut wood, study law on his own to pass the bar, or lead the nation. This is why your Bible says, "Hold on to instruction, do not let it go. Guard it well, for it is your life" (Proverbs 4:13 ).

Be Prepared (3)

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:6


One of the most important questions you must ask yourself is, "What am I supposed to prepare for?" You don't want to be like the beauty pageant contestant who recently told a late-night TV talk show host, "My goal is to bring world peace - and get my own apartment." Ask God what you're supposed to do, and keep asking till you get clear instructions as to your next step (or for that matter, your first step!).
There are timeless principles in the Bible that work, whether you're walking with God or going your own way. So be careful that you are not using God, rather than allowing God to use you. "In all your ways acknowledge [consult, listen and submit to] Him, and He shall direct your paths" (
Proverbs 3:6). What ultimately matters most will not be what others say about your life, but what God says.
The humbling truth is, all achievements will eventually be surpassed, records will be broken, reputations will fade, and tributes will be forgotten. In college Dr. James Dobson's goal was to become the school's tennis champion. He felt very proud when his trophy was prominently placed in a display cabinet. Years later someone mailed him that trophy - they had found it in a trash can when the school was remodeled. Dobson says, "Given enough time, all your trophies will be trashed by someone else." Living to create an earthly legacy is a short-sighted goal. You weren't put here to be remembered, you were put here to do God's will and to prepare for eternity. If you're wise you'll keep that in mind!

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