Being Ready for the Moment

When your time comes, whenever some special moment presents itself, will you be ready?

To be ready, it's wise to prepare for what lies in the future.

There’s a line in the animated film, “The Lion King,” in which the villain, Scar, sings to his cohorts, “Be prepared.” It has also been a favored motto in a more positive sense, with the Boy Scouts. More than 100 years ago, an English soldier coined the slogan, explaining it means, “you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty.”

This idea is hardly restricted to movie characters or those involved in scouting. It’s a mindset we see manifested nearly every day. Think of 2015, when three Americans aboard an express train to Paris – two of them soldiers – thwarted a terrorist’s attempt to kill dozens of passengers. Or the firefighter who just weeks ago caught an infant dropped down from a window in a burning building

For the sports-minded among us, Tua Tagovailoa serves as an excellent example. A highly regarded, but rarely used freshman quarterback from Hawaii, he was thrust into the spotlight in the second half of this year’s College Football Playoff Championship, leading Alabama to victory. Prior to kickoff, no one predicted him to emerge as star of the game.

Each one of the individuals above was ready for the moment when it came. In their own ways, all had trained their minds and bodies for such a time, even though they could not have envisioned when or how it would appear. For Tagovailoa, it also became a time to acknowledge that God had given him the opportunity, as well as the capacity to respond as needed.

We might not face such dramatic circumstances, but we never know when the moment will come when the Lord calls us to step up. I think of a friend, the general manager of a manufacturing company, who had an unusual, very unexpected opportunity to speak about his faith in Jesus to an important client visiting from another country.

The client had learned about an upcoming event at my friend’s church, which prompted him to ask a series of questions. Coming from a nation where most people follow a very different religion, he expressed sincere curiosity about Christianity and Jesus Christ. My friend responded by following the instructions of 1 Peter 3:15, “… Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

He had been ready for the moment, even without any advance indication that a meaningful spiritual discussion was in the offing.

Being in a state of readiness is important for anyone that follows Christ. I’m reminded of Jesus’ story in Matthew 25 about 10 virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five wisely had taken oil in jars for their lamps; the others did not. While the foolish ones left to retrieve the oil to keep their lamps lighted, the bridegroom arrived. Arriving late, the women weren’t permitted into the banquet hall.

Jesus’ moral to this story was, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13).

Then there’s the account of the Lord’s night in the garden of Gethsemane, where He agonized in prayer over the trial, scourging and crucifixion He was about to face. He had taken Peter, James and John with Him, admonishing them to, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

The Bible declares one day Christ will come back, and for that we also need to be ready. Both 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and 2 Peter 3:10 declare, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” We don’t want to be like the unwise women who were unprepared. Whether it’s the imminent return of Christ, or a spontaneous, unplanned moment when we can perform a very special act of service, will we be ready? 

The Good Thing About Being Ready

In his book, When ‘Want To’ Becomes ‘Have To!’ my friend Gary Highfield observes if you stay ready, you won’t have to get ready when opportunity presents itself. A simple statement, yes, but profound at the same time. The best way to ensure success is to always be prepared.

Oops! Obviously someone failed to make the
right preparations prior to the construction
of this bridge.

Abraham Lincoln reputedly said, “If I had nine hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six hours sharpening my ax.” Just as a dull blade would greatly slow the process of cutting wood, failure to make ample preparation can thwart our best efforts to achieve intended goals.

I remember one morning while working as an assistant editor for a daily newspaper and I was up against a tight schedule. My best-laid plans had gone up in smoke when a major news story broke over the wire service, leaving me in a panic, since the deadline for completing the pages I was working on was less than 30 minutes away.

Thankfully, the managing editor arrived and came to my rescue. Applying his years of experience and wisdom, he quickly rearranged the pages I had been laboring over and got them to the pressmen with minutes to spare. As I recovered from the near disaster, he offered advice I’ve never forgotten: “Always have a plan B.” In other words, be prepared for the unexpected.

We hear a lot about the importance of being prepared – for college, for having children, for making a presentation at work, for retiring. There’s even Preparation H…although I think that’s something totally different, right?

Despite the warnings, most of us delay, thinking we’ll start preparing tomorrow, next week, or next year. The reality is if you’re not in the process of getting prepared now for whatever you’re anticipating, you probably won’t be sufficiently prepared when the time comes.

The Bible speaks a lot about living in the present, but it also teaches much about preparing for the future. In fact, preparation was a key element in the exodus of the Israelites from enslavement in Egypt. Before their hasty departure, the Israelites asked the Egyptians for silver and gold, as well as articles of clothing – which the besieged Egyptians willingly agreed to do, along with a hearty “Good riddance!”

So when the time came for Moses and the Israelites to construct a tabernacle for worship and fixtures for the sacrifices, necessary materials were readily available. It was certainly better than rummaging around in the wilderness in search of supplies.

Proverbs 24:27 admonishes, “Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that build your house.” In other words, unlike today’s common practice of buying costly items with the presumption there will be money later to pay for them, God advises that making preparations to ensure sufficient income should be a top priority.

Jesus cautioned His followers not to embark on an ambitious enterprise without confidence in their ability to see the work to completion. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and it not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to work and was not able to finish’” (Luke 14:28).

Do you ever have conversations with people about God and your faith? We could just wait until someone appears on our doorstep and challenges our beliefs, or we could do as the apostle Peter advised: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). If they ask a good question, we owe them a reasonable reply.

In another passage, the apostle Paul states, “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity” (Colossians 4:5). We maximize opportunities when we’re ready to respond appropriately. Can you clearly articulate the basis for your faith in Christ, other than because it’s what someone you respect told you? If not, you need to get prepared. When are you going to start?

Biblical exhortations about preparation are not limited to this life alone. Followers of Jesus are given assurance of eternal life, but the Scriptures teach the quality of our heavenly experience will depend in part on how we’ve used and invested our time on earth; how we’ve prepared for the life to come.

Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” That’s a pretty sobering admonition – and I’m sure that’s as He intended.

And clearly, the Lord practices what He preaches. He’s a “preparer” and is actively preparing for our arrival: “…as it is written, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

God is getting ready for us. The question is, are we ready for Him?