This week I want to talk to you about sharing preparedness; how to share and how not to, what to do when people won’t listen and some of the reasons why they don’t listen. I’ll even share some ideas about what you can do when you hear the dreaded “If it ever hits the fan, I’ll just come to your house”.
What Can We Do When People Won’t Listen?
It is human nature to want to share something we believe in with people that we care about. When there is something that we know is important, that we know is good, whether it’s our faith, preparedness or anything else. Why they don’t see things as clearly as we do can be confusing, frustrating or even heartbreaking.
I have had a couple of e-mail conversations with people asking different versions of the same question; “Why does God ask some people to prepare and not others?” and “My family thinks I’m crazy because I want to prepare. How can I get them on board?”
First let me ask; who can truly know the mind of God? I don’t claim to. I have been thinking about this and going over scripture to see if there are any examples I could draw from, trying to glean His wisdom from other areas to see if they fit this topic as well. Some of the things you’ll read in this article you might not like, while others you might find peace in. Please know that I say them all out of love.
Different Parts of the Body 1 Corinthians 12:12
“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.”
Paul tells us that we are all different parts of the body, each with different gifts. We all know God gives us different kinds of gifts (besides spiritual gifts). Some people are athletic and some are intellectual. I think God asks some of us to live each day waiting for manna to eat, yet others He asks to prepare. The plan that He has for your life could be drastically different than a loved ones, but in the end it might all be for His glory.
Pearls Before Swine Mathew 7:6
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.”
Jesus told the disciples not to throw the pearls (of wisdom) before the swine because they wouldn’t understand. Did you ever read the Bible before you were a believer? I did and it didn’t make sense, not until I took that step of faith and gave my life to Him.
Along the same line, some of the people you share preparedness with just won’t see the reason until something happens to open their eyes. If someone resists, you might save yourself some grief and just let it go, which brings me to my next point.
Shake the Dust From Your Feet Mathew 10-14-15
“If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. 15 I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.”
These two verses are important and something I am trying to live by more often. Jesus said that the people in the homes or towns would be worse off than Sodom and Gomorrah for not welcoming them, let alone not listening or refusing the good news. Jesus loved the people that were in the towns that might dismiss the disciples, but they were not more important than the mission He had sent the disciples on.
To be clear, I am not saying that the people who won’t listen to your reasons for prepping are doomed to hell. What I am saying is that if they won’t listen, maybe you should just move on and shake the dust from your feet.
God is calling many of His people to prepare; I see them find this site every day. Seek Him, if He is calling you to prepare, prepare with these people in mind if you must, but keep your actions to yourself. Bringing your actions to light could compound the negativity. Do not let their negativity or scoffing stop you. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. If you are obedient, any guilt or shame you feel is from the pits of hell.
God gave us the ability to tell Him no and walk into danger. We may want to choose differently for our loved ones, but maybe we should follow Gods example and let them find it on their own, even if it means some pain in the process.
(By trying to live more like this, I mean that I stand up for what I believe in, but if someone is antagonistic, a scoffer or pig-headedly resistant, I just shake the dust and go back to what I was doing.)
Easier Said Than Done
I realize this is easier said than done if it is a member of your immediate family or someone you love. When I first brought the idea of preparing to my wife, she was a little reluctant. We had a few conversations about it. I began searching scripture and we eventually got on the same page.
If she would have stood her ground and said “no”, I would have taken that to the Lord. If He continued to press preparedness, I would have prayed that she be open to me moving forward. I would have told her that I believed the Lord wanted me to do this, and that I have to be obedient.
My wife supports me, even if she doesn’t feel called to do something. If I feel called, she’s behind me. If she wasn’t behind me, I would still ask that some money go toward preparedness every week and assure her that I would not be over-buying. I would continue to prepare but always remain respectful of her feelings.
The best thing we can do is go to the King and ask for guidance and for His will to be done.
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