Are You Prepared or Acting Out of Worry?
As Hezbollah’s threats increase and war in the north seems imminent, citizens are being told to prepare their bomb shelters, bug-out bags, and food boxes in case we are stuck in our homes with power cuts and an endless barrage of missiles.
Since the start of this war, my family has been prepared. We’ve had our bags ready to go — in fact, I’ve carried mine whenever I’ve left the house. We have food stored to last us over a week, a generator in the backyard, and even a satellite in case we lose cell service (not that my mom and I know how to use it, haha). Nevertheless, with each new warning of escalation, I flurry about the house wondering if we’ve done enough. Are we prepared for what might come? Will we be ready? What needs to get done before the attack comes?
These questions have plagued my thoughts until they turned my mind from wise preparation to needless worry. After another night of choosing “preparation” over sleep, the Lord reminded me of Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear… Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Despite these verses being overly used in stressful situations, this passage was the grounding I needed to recognize how Satan uses our fears to distract us and ruin our present. While being prepared and vigilant is important, it shouldn’t cost us our sleep, energy, health, or, most importantly, our peace!
When I chose “preparation” over rest, I was not trusting in God. In war, there is ALWAYS a possibility of attack, but we can’t stay on high alert forever; it costs too much! These words can also be applied to those facing trials. We can think of all the “what ifs” and plan accordingly, but there is a fine line between being wisely prepared and trying to be overly prepared as though we’re “keeping up” with God’s plans.
Though we can’t play guessing games when it comes to war, there is a moment at the start of each day where we have a choice – will we trust God to tell us when we need to be cautious, or are we going to take control and spend the entire day on edge with “what if” hanging over our heads?
There are so many things that are out of our control and factors that play into a single day, but there is even more going on behind the scenes. So, while anything can happen, we mustn’t allow these worries to steal our present! Tomorrow will come with its own troubles; for now, find peace in the Messiah and focus on what He’s called us to do. No amount of preparation can truly prepare us, so we must trust that God knows the end from the beginning and will guide us through whatever the day brings.
Today, I CHOOSE not to worry about the what-ifs. For over eight months, I’ve been looking over my shoulder for threats that haven’t materialized. Though it’s very possible that we will soon be affected by the conflict on the Lebanese border, I will not allow the “possibility” to steal me from my tasks today. I remain prepared but will not lose any more sleep or time worrying about what might not happen today; I’m leaving the future up to God.
