Jay Herndon

Be Ready

Paul told Timothy, "Be ready for every good work,"

I was a Boy Scout throughout my adolescent years. And I remember well the Boy Scout motto: "Be Prepared." The Royal Rangers have a similar motto: "Be Ready." It is advice that I took to heart, even as a boy.

I've always wanted to be ready—I kept my camping gear clean and packed, so that I could leave within minutes if the opportunity arose, I kept my ski equipment tuned and ready, so that I could be first on the slopes. And woe unto my surfing partner if he made me stop at the surf-shop on the way to the beach because he had run out of surf-wax! "We're wasting time!" I'd say. "We should be in the water by now! You should have thought about that before!"

I haven't surfed in years now, but I employ the same philosophy in my golf game—my bag is stocked and ready! Need some sunscreen? I got it. Need a band-aid for a blister? I got it. If I need a fresh pair of socks, I've got those too, right in my bag.

Some might say that my desire to be prepared masks a darker side—I'll admit that I've experienced an occasional anxiety dream that finds me in a situation where I am not prepared. And I have been know to be impatient with those who didn't have their stuff together (especially if their lack of preparation prevented ME from getting on the hill or in the water! I still get impatient when behind a driver that has neglected to get their toll bridge ready, or the person who neglected to prepare for the airport scanner!) But that makes me impatient, not compulsive. I am spontaneous and I am not uncomfortable with last-minute changes to my plans. My desire to be prepared is not compulsion, it's just that I have learned something—the more prepared I am, the more options I have. Preparation brings freedom.

Jesus illustrated the importance of preparation in his parable of the Ten Bride's Maids: five wise girls prepared themselves and were ready when the Groom arrived, but five foolish girls were not prepared, and were not able to take advantage of their invitation.

I've treated ministry much the same way—I want to be prepared: to get the training, get the credential, do the research, anticipate the situation, and prepare. So that I can be ready when the Spirit says, "Now."

I've seen many who could have benefited from this simple motto:

They see an opportunity, but they don't have the education needed to qualify, and they need to cram four years of schooling in four months!
They are recommended to a ministry but they have unresolved obstacles, and so the opportunity passes them by!
They are offered a ministry, but they don't have the credential level required, and so they scramble to advance or ask to waive the requirements!
They'd like to retire, but their MBA account might not survive a single trip to Safeway!

I don't mean to belittle those who need to expedite things in order to follow God's leading—I've certainly done that myself a time or two. The advice to "Be Ready" presumes that God will take us off-road occasionally, and that we'll have to blaze our own trail. But that's what "be ready" means—having a primary plan, a backup plan, and having adequate information and supplies so that one can improvise if all other plans fail.

I encourage you to think about ways in which you could prepare yourself for future opportunities. Perhaps you could,

Enroll in a class to upgrade your education
Open a retirement account
Start to work on a book
Advance your credential
Pay off financial debt
Engage in a certificate program of some kind

There are numbers of ways in which you can prepare yourself for the future. I am sure that God will lead you if you are open.

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