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Life can be lonely for many who choose to live a life in preparation for the unknown future. Friends and family who may be able to understand wanting to simplify things cannot seem to make peace with planning for an unknown future event. Many think you are wasting time worrying; others think it is a lack of faith. You may have made the choice to live this way, but you feel isolated, abandoned, and even a little angry. You know you have made the right decision for your family, but helping others make peace with it is a little more difficult. You feel as if you are standing on a ledge, alone against the wind. But, when you stand on your faith, enjoy life, live a faithful life, and are prepared to share, you are never truly alone.
Stand On Faith
Rest assured you are not the first believer who has made preparation for the future. One of the best biblical accounts we have for understanding the importance of preparing is Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream in Genesis 41. Joseph, a man who had every right to be upset and angry with his family for abandoning him and selling him into slavery eventually finds his way to Pharaoh’s home. While there, he has the opportunity to interpret several dreams, including Pharaoh’s. He explains to Pharaoh it is not his ability to interpret the dreams, but God’s, and proceeds to explain what God sees through the dream. He knows a period of terrible hunger and desolation will follow a period of abundance. If Pharaoh is able to prepare and store grain during the prosperous period, he and his kingdom will not falter.
Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream reminds us that not only is it right for us to prepare, it is God’s plan. It is acceptable and supported by God to plan for the future. His desire is not that any of us should falter because of lack of preparation.
Enjoy The Moment
The Bible is filled with words of wisdom about enjoying life, and they are extremely relevant to us today. It is easy to get lost in the frustration of this prepper life. We have so many things to do and so many things to plan for and worry about. We are isolated from friends and family that once supported us. But we cannot get lost in that negativity. There is so much joy to be found surrounding us, and we must learn to appreciate it. God has provided each of us with riches beyond compare and hopes that we will not reflect on the things of this world, but instead be occupied by praise for Him because of our full heart (Ecclesiastes 5:20).
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Live A Faithful Life
You have to know that as a prepper, you are being watched. Your decisions, your attitude, even the simple way you move from day to day are being observed by outsiders. Some are observing with an honest curiosity; perhaps they want to move into a prepper lifestyle but are unsure how it will look. Others may be watching simply to ridicule. They wait with baited breath for any opportunity you will fail or look foolish.
Living the life of a prepper that is constantly watched is not so different from living as a Christian. Many people do not understand why we choose to believe, why we choose to live our life dedicated to following the one and true God. But we know it does not matter. We are living a life that is righteous and right, knowing our ways our grounded in His truth. When we live our life as an example of our faith, we speak more forcefully than if we stood on a mountain and offered the best sermon possible.
Be Prepared To Give
The most difficult element of the life we have chosen will be when that unknown catastrophic event really happens. At that moment, we will have a difficult choice to make. The family and friends that have turned their backs against us and ridiculed us will now need a helping hand. They will be reaching for us, no longer out of curiosity and mockery but in absolute need. It will be in that moment that we have the absolute best opportunity to allow our faith and God’s love to rule our lives.
In his letter, James asks, “suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15-16). This will be the ultimate challenge for us. Our human nature may want to turn them away. We will feel like the ant who has scurried all summer to prepare for the winter. Now, it is here and the grasshopper wants a handout. As preppers, it will be easy to say we hope all goes well for our neighbors and go back inside our homes with plenty of food, shelter, and water. But, as Christians, we will be called to do more than offer words of encouragement. We will need to be prepared to share our knowledge and perhaps even some of our supplies.
When we make a choice to live life outside the norm, whether it is the life of a prepper or the life of a Christian, we take a stand. We may isolate ourselves from people we once called family and friends. But, we are not alone. We are carried by the love of God, surrounded by His blessings and others who have made the choice to stand with us. We have an obligation to live life according to His will, knowing we our actions and deeds are being watched. There is no expectation of being perfect; that is impossible for us. There only the knowledge that as we stand on that ledge, we do so on the faith and knowledge we have much to gain from this life and much to share.
©2012 Off the Grid News
