The Importance of Being Prepared

I have experienced one of the toughest situations in my life and that would be growing up without my father. This was tough for me because for years, I thought something was wrong with me. I thought I did something that would make him not love me and I had no idea what that could be. Because of the lack of his presence in my life, I was not prepared for what life was going to deal me. I was not prepared for the things that only a father can teach his daughter. As a result, I made wrong choices, wrong decisions and I was headed towards a path of destruction.

I am reminded of the biblical story of the woman at the well. The bible does not give us a lot of information about her, except for the fact that she was a Samaritan woman and she loved men. Lots of them. In those days, Samaritans were not to speak to Jews and Jews did not speak to Samaritans. Daughters should not grow up without their fathers and fathers should not be absent from their daughter's life. In the case of the Samaritan woman, one could suggest that maybe rules need to be broken sometimes. She was a Samaritan, Jesus was a Jew. He spoke. She listened. Tsk. Tsk. However, what Jesus said to her was so profound, she went and told everyone about her experience with Him. Isn’t that what preachers do? Tell others about Christ? Despite her past, she became a preacher. Despite my past, He is using me for this ministry. Despite YOUR past, what does God want to use YOU for? The Samaritan woman survived. I survived. You too can survive. “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10 NASB).

My father did not prepare me and sometimes we do not let God prepare us. Because of this, we cannot fight off what the enemy has in store for us. Hmmm….that’s funny. Even Satan had to prepare! As a result, we make careless decisions. We do not seek God on anything and we do not stay rooted and grounded in His word. We ultimately leave ourselves wide open and subject to even more attacks from the enemy, simply because we are unprepared.

Every day that God allows you to see, begin to pray that He guides your thoughts, your mind and your soul. Pray that He guides your total being. The bible tells us to put on the whole armor of God. “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist the devil in the evil day, and having done everything, stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13 NASB). Verses 14 thru 17 further explain the elements of this armor. They consist of and we should pray to put on truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and the Holy Spirit. Notice the action here. To “put on” requires participation on our part. The Samaritan woman participated by telling others about Christ. She had to put on her “full armor” in order to do what He said. She could not put on her full armor if she was still wearing her old clothes from the past. We are not the exception to this rule. Take off the old, put on the new. We cannot have it both ways. We cannot straddle the fence. We cannot be lukewarm. We either stand for Christ or fall for anything.

The most amazing thing about the Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus, and the bible instructing us to put on the whole armor of God, the most amazing thing about growing up without my father and the mistakes I have made, the most amazing thing about your failed marriage, your divorce, your miscarriage, your loss of a job, whatever your “Samaritan” moment is or was, God doesn’t care. He loves us. He WILL and CAN use us anyway because He sees us as beautiful. We just have to prepare.

Forever hoping for you,

Y.