At least twice a month I have the pleasure of working alongside an incredible team of volunteers to provide dental care at the local charitable clinic. I cannot help but smile when I walk into the dental sterilization room and see a sticky note on one of the machines that says, "Ready to Roll." That simple note is an announcement that one of our faithful volunteers has already prepared the machines so that our day can run smoothly and efficiently. Because of her preparation, we are ready to fulfill the mission of the clinic for that day. Because of her groundwork, we are ready to roll.
An old adage teaches that "if we fail to plan, we plan to fail." Careful planning and preparation are necessary if we want to reach particular goals. What are our goals? How are we working toward those goals? Does the Bible have anything to say about goals and preparation?
Peter presents two goals for us when he says, "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). We are to worship the Lord for who he is, and we are to be prepared to share the hope we have. If those are our goals, how do we reach them? In order to worship the Lord for who he is and share him with others, we must learn who he is by reading his very words. Carve out a specific time every single day to read the Bible. Getting up a few minutes earlier or giving up a few minutes of social media time are very small prices to pay for the reward of knowing God better. Other spiritual disciplines such as prayer and worship are also vital as we grow in grace. In short, we should "train [ourselves] for godliness" (1 Timothy 4:7).
Our preparation (or our lack of preparation) reveals our priorities in life. When I take the time to prepare for something, it shows that I care about a particular outcome or goal. For example, I spend a great deal of time in physical training when I am registered for an obstacle course race. I want my body to be prepared for any distance, terrain, or obstacle. The course map is not revealed until two days before the race, so I have to be prepared for anything and everything. Similarly, Paul tells Christians to "be ready in season and out of season" (2 Timothy 4:2). We do not always know what is coming our way, but maintaining a daily rhythm of diligently seeking the Lord will prepare us for anything or anyone in our paths. We must prioritize our relationship with the Lord so we can encourage others to do the same by sharing the hope that we have.
Are we ready to roll?
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