This past weekend, I spent a few days in North Carolina at an event called Prepper Camp, a preparedness, survival, and homesteading conference. There were some great speakers teaching everything from beekeeping, blacksmithing, and gardening to self-defense, gun safety, and building a strong survival community.
The class that stood out most to me, though, was about mental and spiritual preparedness. The speaker, who was both a pastor and a tribesman, talked about being prepared for hard times, where we look for answers when things fall apart, and ultimately, who we turn to.
That got me thinking. I have been a “prepper” since before the word was popular. My family has always had gardens, believed in being self-reliant, and has a long history of military service. I have taken steps to prepare for many different scenarios. But as our church has been going through the book of Matthew this year, I kept coming back to Matthew 6 and Jesus' warning about storing up treasures on earth.
I felt convicted. Here we were surrounded by people buying supplies, storing food, and learning valuable skills for hard times. All good things. But the question became the theme of our weekend: You are preparing for the worst possible scenario on earth, but have you prepared for eternity?
That opened the door for many conversations about Jesus.God moved in a powerful way. One man reached out about being baptized, and after class, we went to the water where he publicly declared his faith in Christ. Another man, who was working in the booth next to us, heard the gospel from my friend, received salvation, and was baptized the following day.
So, if you want to be prepared for the worst possible scenario, the most important preparation you can make is salvation through Jesus Christ. And if you have already received that salvation, then you are on the rescue team. Now get out there and share the Good News.