“No man is a fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” (Rev. Philip Henry – 1631-1696, [often attributed to the 20th Century missionary, Jim Elliott])
Fundamental to living the Christian life is a decision to pursue things that are permanent as over against things that won’t last. What are you preparing for? It is good and wise to make sure that you will have food to eat and water to drink in the days to come. But there is a better and more valuable kind of preparation, a preparation that will guarantee not only survival in this life, but eternal life in the world to come.
Every preparer makes decisions about the best things to stock up on. How many of you are storing up “Twinkies”? In the same way, every preparer must consider not only the temporal needs of his or her family but those things which will endure. Our Lord Jesus warned against storing up treasure in this life while ensuring poverty in the life to come (Matthew 6:19-21). You store up for the coming age by living for Christ and pursuing the things that please Him.
The long history of Christian missionaries in the world provides a wonderful example to us as we seek to prepare for the collapse of our society. Missionaries face a choice concerning what really matters. They must put aside comforts and ease in this life for rewards that can only be measured from the perspective of eternity. Men like David Brainerd (see below) show us the way. Wise preparers will always choose the best and most lasting over the weak and temporary. What are your preparation priorities? Don’t focus primarily on what you cannot keep. Stock up on the things you cannot lose!
This Day in Church History
April 20, 1718: David Brainerd, missionary to New England’s Native Americans, is born in Haddam, Connecticut. Brainerd was expelled from Yale for attending a revival meeting. But he spent the rest of his life laboring among the Native Americans in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. He attained fame after his death (at age 29, from tuberculosis) when the eminent Christian pastor and philosopher, Jonathan Edwards published his journal. Brainerd’s diary inspired countless other missionaries, including William Carey, called “the father of modern missions”.