Proverbs 6:6-8
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
Over the last several posts I’ve addressed the topic of change and dealing with the coming and going of life seasons from a biblical perspective. This has been a helpful topic for me personally as I’ve been seeking God’s wisdom on how to handle really big, upcoming life changes. The truths we’ve already examined from God’s Word have been so relevant for my own heart and life, and I’m truly thankful for the encouragement and challenge they’ve been for me. I pray they’ve been the same for you!
In today’s post I want to wrap up the biblical principles discussed so far in this series by providing some more practical instruction from Scripture to help us with change. While the Bible may not have specific sections labeled “How to prepare well for change,” it is still full of God’s wisdom on how we can be preparing well no matter what seasons of life or circumstance we find ourselves in.
The introductory verses from Proverbs 6 today are very commonly quoted in the Christian world when talking about planning or the need to be disciplined. I’ve always been convicted by the example of creatures in nature, like the ant, who really seem to have it all together. They exist and continue on working and surviving no matter what season it is and no matter how difficult the conditions they find themselves in. Ultimately, though, I know it is the Lord who provides for and guides the ants (and all creatures) to live and work, just like how Jesus explains in Matthew 6 regarding the flowers of the field or the birds of the air. And while Matthew 6:34 tells us to not worry about tomorrow because of God’s care (which could be an argument for not even trying to prepare for upcoming seasons in life), we are told right before that in 6:33 to do something proactive: “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.”
Throughout Scripture we see this tension: our responsibility to be disciplined, proactive, and good stewards of our lives, giftings, and resources, while simultaneously acknowledging our lack of control in making anything come about. I think this is an important tension for us to focus on today as we consider how to prepare well for life changes in a way that honors God.
In the Bible, we are commanded to commit our ways to the Lord and to trust Him, while also being still and waiting patiently for Him (Psalm 37:6-7). Proverbs 16:3 also sums up this teaching:
Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.
We’re to trust the Lord with whatever we do, yet we’re still expected to plan (since this verse says God will be the one establishing them). So with that concept in the front of our minds, how do we go about “considering the ant and its ways”? First, I think it’s important to recognize the huge difference between God’s purposes for the ant, bird, and flower compared to His purpose for us. While all of creation is certainly established to give glory and praise to our great God (Psalm 148; Romans 11:36), humans are gifted a special relationship with Him. With that relationship comes a different purpose in bringing glory to Him. God’s Word was given to us (not anything else in creation) for instruction in how we can bring glory to Him in all we do (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:3-4). The benefit of that instruction includes guiding us as we prepare for the future too.
Because of God’s Word, we aren’t left wondering how on earth we can balance our special, human responsibility in planning and preparing while also trusting and waiting on the Lord. There are numerous passages we could study that demonstrate how we can live this out. So next, let’s look at just a few examples from the teachings of Jesus about the importance of preparing well and the results when we fail to do so:
Matthew 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Luke 14:28-33
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”
All three examples in these stories are of people who prepare well. They are not examples of just “letting go and letting God.” These parables were spoken in the context of Jesus explaining how we are expected to respond to His message of salvation: We must act! We cannot wait around and do nothing once we are saved. Jesus chose these real life examples of how to prepare well so that His audience could relate to them easily and understand.
We, as Christians, are called to live out the rest of our lives in obedience to Jesus. To be like the wise man or the effective builder or the successful king in these parables, we must seek to equip our hearts and minds with God’s Word and continually strive to grow in obeying our Lord and Savior. To do this well, we must be regularly studying God’s Word, communing with Him in prayer, and actively participating in the Body life of the church. All of this is spiritual preparation, which is what will ultimately help us through any trial or change of circumstance that we may face.
Following are several examples from the New Testament of where we are called to prepare spiritually for this life:
Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Ephesians 6:10-13, 18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand… And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
I hope you can see that the purpose of this series is not to help you know how to plan perfectly for any change you may have to go through—my desire is that you see how spiritual preparation is what will ultimately help us get through whatever change and trial that comes our way.
If we are seeking to grow in spiritual maturity, in our relationship with the Lord, and in our obedience to Him, we will be well-equipped to plan for change that we see coming and to react to change that we don’t expect. We won’t always respond well, and we will constantly need to keep looking to our Savior for His help and strength. But His Word does not return void! Growing in our knowledge of Him and applying His truths to our lives will give us wisdom and discernment for planning, preparing, and adjusting to the shifting seasons of life.
My prayer is that from this series you will have a greater understanding of the hope we have in Christ for all of life’s problems, including the difficulty of dealing with change. God has been a God of planning and preparation from the story of Creation, to the work in His people Israel, to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. He instructs His people to follow Him, to obey His Word, and He desires that we do plan well. However, we can only do so with a right view of our God, His ultimate control, and the help and power that only He can give. In my first posts of this series I said something similar to this: one of life’s certainties is that we will inevitably have to experience change. I pray you cling to the God who holds and sustains you and ALL THINGS as you move forward with whatever change you’re facing now or will face next.
Thank you as always for listening to or reading Speaking Truth. I look forward to continuing the journey of sharing truths from God’s Word in my next series.
Preparing Well