Always ready for the road ahead
In actuality, I’ve been talking about being ready for spiritual storms but the tools I have mentioned are tools we need for a Christ-centered daily life. For the most part, too many Christians aren’t ready for the approaching storms because they are not ready for everyday life. There’s no daily Bible reading or prayer time. There’s little fellowship with other believers because of the uncomfortableness and conviction brought about by the Holy Spirit. They don’t wait on the Lord and react to the spiritual storms through the flesh and not trusting on the Lord’s provision. Instead of being ready for the spiritual storms that will come, they simply exist from day-to-day and are shocked and overwhelmed when they find themselves in the middle of the storm.
Each of us have people in our lives that never seem to be caught off guard by approaching storms. They are ready each day, spending time with the Lord in prayer, in the studying of His word, and are never rash in decision-making. They seek out God’s will in nearly everything they do and will often reach out to others in fellowship when they see others who are hurting. This type of Christian living does not happen by accident nor does it happen without complete surrender to the Lord. They are ready for the approaching storms because they are ready for each day because of having a faith that is active. These people have a lot in common with the men and women of the Bible whose faith is unwavering and their trust in the Lord absolute.
Why not begin now?
It doesn’t matter if you are bracing for an approaching storm, if you’re in the middle of the storm, or if you’re just out of a spiritual storm, it is never too late to develop the tools we’ve talked about. It’s never too late to start praying to the Lord each day. It’s never too late to begin reading the Bible each day. It’s never too late to become more active in your church and attending Sunday school, the Sunday night service, or even the mid-week prayer meeting. It’s never too late to ask other Christians to pray for you or to offer a hand to a Christian who may be facing an approaching storm. According to psychologists, it takes doing something for sixty days in a row before it begins to become a habit. This means it is going to take considerable effort and time to develop the tools we need to face the spiritual storms that come our way. It means that while we are in the process of developing this aspect of our faith we will probably experience a spiritual storm or crisis of our faith.
It becomes difficult to keep our spiritual focus in developing new and better habits than ending up in the middle of a spiritual storm. When we become serious about developing and enriching our faith we become a more effective witness for the Lord. While Satan cannot defeat and cause a Christian to lose their salvation, he can discourage them, convince them they are defeated, and remove their ability to be an effective witness for Jesus. Satan accomplishes this by sending spiritual storms into the life of the believer. If you determine you want to strengthen your faith expect Satan to send a storm into your life. If you are serious about developing these tools you will not only develop a deeper relationship with the Lord but you will find the Lord will not only bless and reward your efforts, but will use you as an encouragement for other believers.
