Are Christians supposed to be preppers?

 


There was a recent post regarding whether Christians should or should not be preppers. It's worth a read and there are quite a few good points to consider. Keep in mind the author believes Christians will be on the earth for the first four horsemen before they are raptured.

My response to this question of being a prepper?

It's the wrong question.

The right question is: Is God asking you to prepare?

When we talk to God, he'll be directing us what he wants us to do. The Word of God speaks to the Church as a whole and also to the believer, but the Holy Spirit works in each believer, speaking and working out how that will look in that believer's life and in the situations God places him or her in. We love our enemies, for example, but the Holy Spirit helps us know what that looks like in each situation we are in.

"But what about Joseph?"

Nearly everyone uses Joseph as their proof text for prepping, for building up huge bank accounts, for stockpiling---but Joseph was the man God had for the particular time. Not every situation is that same situation. 

God clearly didn't have the widow prep; he had her down to her last container of oil and she relied on his miraculous provision. (2 Kings 4)

(Side note: Do you ever consider what God had Joseph do? He essentially helped him gain control of all private property, all food supplies, and turned the Egyptians into little more than serfs who had to give up their property and livelihood to the government in order to get food to live off in return. When it was all said and done, the government controlled it all. Do we really want to use that specific situation with that specific leader as a broad rubric for anything? I don't think we do. That was a unique moment in time, and part of God's unique plan. God guided and told Joseph how to prepare.)

Is it Biblical to prep? To not prep? Well, what is God telling you to do?

Maybe he's telling you to be better prepared so you can take care of your family or your neighbors. Maybe it's so when times are tough and you lose your job (which you don't know yet), you'll have something to live on. Maybe he's telling you to do nothing because things are going to get bad and he's going to force you to rely completely on him instead of your stockpile of rice.

I'm preparing. But not to the extent of buying gas masks and digging bomb shelters and whatnot. I just keep talking to God all day, including in the store and if I feel that I am to get something, I do. I don't always know why. But God knows.

The trick is that when God tells you to do something (or not do something) that's for you

The three convictions.

Think of it like this. There are three kinds of "convictions" believers have:

1. Biblical Convictions. 

Biblical convictions are those that come direct and clear from God's Word.

They are what God says is right or wrong, and that's that. There's no wiggle room, no culture mumbo jumbo.

2. Cultural Convictions. 

In some cultures certain things are acceptable, while in others they are not. 

Cultural convictions are things that God doesn't prohibit or require in his Word, but if unbelieving people in a culture think a believer shouldn't do those things, we don't do them so as not to be a stumbling block to others. 

As a teen, I went on a missions trip to Eastern Germany, right after the wall came down. The people were mortified that Christian girls wore makeup, and we were asked to stop wearing it by the missionary we were assisting. Some girls defiantly refused, saying the Bible didn't say they couldn't. They may be right technically, but from a heart standpoint, they were wrong. We don't let our freedom to do them become more important than someone being able to hear the Gospel of Jesus.

Worth noting: the unbeliever or weaker brother (new Christian) is not the same as someone who's been a Christian a long time and still tries to play this card.

3. Personal Convictions. 

Personal convictions are directed at you specifically.

These are things that, while they might be allowed in the Bible, and our culture has no problem with believers doing it, the Holy Spirit is telling you he doesn't want you to do it. Drinking alcohol, for example, or seeing certain kinds of movies. Maybe he knows you're going to trip big time, or whatever.

It's this last one where nearly all of the argument and fights between Christians arise, where we all run to the Bible to cherry pick a verse an find just the right proof text. 

What happens when we mix these three convictions up?

Pride is mostly the result.

The messy part is when we apply personal convictions (which we generally feel VERY strongly about) on others. We take the work God is doing in us and expect others to adhere to it as well.

"I'm following this strict lifestyle or set of rules and look at your sloppy life," we think, instead of considering that maybe God is working hard on boundaries for you because you have a propensity for no self-control. We see this in how people start to get religious about the food we eat (organic, whole, non-GMO), the companies we shop from, the way we structure our day, how we exercise---social media is full of religiosity over personal convictions.

I see a lot of pride now, in regards to the growing great deception and fast move towards the one world government we know is coming.

Pride in being informed. Pride in knowing information others are ignorant of. Pride in being "awake." Pride in doing your own research. Pride in not being deceived by the media. And pride in who is the best prepared.

If you feel personally convicted to prep, do it. But stop scolding others who don't. 

Pete Garcia, of Rev310 ministries, is not what I'd call a prepper. He doesn't scold against it, but he doesn't advocate it. And he is an absolutely solid believer and wonderful writer of end times things. You read his writing, and you're edified. Is he wrong, on the issue of prepping? Or is he simply obeying God's direction to him?

It's so confusing when our personal convictions conflict with those of people around us, or when others can't understand what God is directing us to do. That's why we always go back to the Word. Is it clearly outlined as wrong or right? If not, don't make it an issue for division among believers.

"But how could God not want everyone to prep?"

God provides in all kinds of way. Sometimes it's asking people to methodically prepare, and other times, it's day-by-day, just like the Israelites and manna. They weren't to take any extra beyond what they needed. It must have been tempting to take a little extra and "prepare just in case" but anything extra rotted. God saw to that. He was insistent: I am your provider. Your tomorrow will be taken care of by me, not by your efforts.

Even if you're a prepper, God is still your provider. 

He's given you the information and the ability to prepare ahead of time. Perhaps you are going to be the miracle for someone he hasn't asked to prepare, because you're going to learn a lesson on generosity, learning to rely on God instead of your food stores as you start handing them out. Perhaps he's going to soften a hard or proud heart by asking you to provide for people you warned who didn't prepare but come to you in need anyway, kind of like how we constantly come shamefaced back to God for forgiveness and he offers forgiveness instead of a "I told you so" and a slammed door.

Listen to what God tells you to do. And don't put that on anyone else. Don't feel pride because you're preparing and the "sheep" or fools aren't; that's a heart issue and God will take care of that pride in a painful way. 

Let me be bold, for those who believe they are very well prepared.

Don't you believe Jesus was correct that during the tribulation all would die if it weren't ended? Do you think you can really prepare for even the first four horsemen?

You cannot.

Insects, disease, natural (and supernatural) disasters, government confiscation, demonic hordes, water turned to blood, solar atrocities---you can't prepare for what's coming, not really. You can't even keep your grains from getting bugs now, or your glass jars from falling off the shelf and breaking, or your house from flooding or burning down or being robbed.

Listen to God. Obey him. Be generous and ready to help as he directs. Be thankful if you are in a position to prepare. You may have 40 jugs of oil today and think you're prepped and ready, but in a simple moment, you could be that widow on her last drop of oil and about to starve, except for God.


UPDATE: Read "Pick A Pack of Proper Preppers" for a great take on this topic.

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