Prepared, Not Preppers

Each of us live and minister in the shadow of divine judgment. We understand that God’s corrective judgment permits seasons of national difficulty for the purpose of alerting us to the consequences of our continued rebellion and to provoke us to repentance. Knowing this, we should anticipate times of increasing difficulty in America. Apart from systemic cultural change, divinely permitted seasons of national trouble are likely inevitable, but this does not absolve us from our responsibility to minster during such seasons. Instead, it could be during these times of difficulty that our ministry is most effective—if we are prepared.

America has no shortage of people who are prepared for times of extreme difficulty. Often referred to as “preppers,” these are survivalists who are determined to persevere through even the most dire circumstances. Such preppers typically focus on a particular facet of the feared apocalypse:

Doomsday preppers have bunkers and fallout shelters designed to survive a nuclear holocaust.
Zombie apocalypse preppers have enough guns, ammunition, and explosives to fend-off any invading force.
Biological warfare preppers have masks, hazmat suits, medical supplies, and hermetically sealed shelters.
EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) preppers have faraday cages and hand-powered tools.
Global warming preppers have houses built high above sea level and far from the rising coastlines.
Financial collapse preppers have stashes of gold, silver, and cryptocurrencies.

A defining mentality among such preppers is a will to survive at all costs. The world around them may disintegrate and perish, but they are survivors. However, this is not the mentality or kind of preparation necessary to minister through times of national difficulty. As Christians, our goal should not be to simply survive. We have been commissioned to expand God’s kingdom by teaching others to give their allegiance to God. Jesus commanded His followers, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you” (Matt. 28:19–20b). Our goal ought to be to minister to others—regardless of our circumstances.

As Christians, our future is far more glorious than anything this present life has to offer (Rom. 8:18; 1 Cor. 2:9; 1 Pet. 1:3–5). By relentlessly clinging to life, we only delay this future; therefore, there must be something that merits preserving this life in trying times. The apostle Paul expresses this mentality in his letter to the Philippians:

I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between the two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith (Php. 1:21–25).

Paul would have rejected the apocalyptic prepper mentality of surviving at all costs. Freed from his responsibility to minister to others, Paul would have had no reason to cling to this life. Likewise, our focus ought to be on ministry rather than survival. Therefore, when we speak of the need to prepare for times of increasing difficulty, we are endorsing a far different mentality and objective than that of the stereotypical American “prepper.”

This article comes from Heart of a Forerunner: How to Be a Relevant and Influential Voice in a Wayward Nation