Ready for Anything

It doesn’t take much time on the job for “Murphy’s Law” to seem real. As a refresher, this is the phenomenon that if anything can go wrong, it will. In a broader sense, it's the coincidence that when that piece of gear is broken or missing, that’s the day you’ll need it. How do we stay prepared to face anything?

Lack of preparation on the job has a way of catching up to us quickly, sometimes with unfortunate consequences that may haunt us forever. The old adage can be true: “If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.” Our jobs as first responders are unique in that they are 95% preparation and 5% execution; but when someone’s tragedy strikes, we need to be 100% ready for a type of call we may have never responded to yet.

If we dwell on the possibility of such calls for too long, we may experience anxiety about the “what-ifs” that may occur. However, our preparation, skillset, and experience can fight back this anxiety. Regardless, there are calls that we can never fully prepare for. We trust the collective effort of our chiefs and crews to execute at our best and for the best of the community we serve.

In life, we can easily feel anxious about the “what-ifs” if we let our minds wander. Just like on the job, we know the types of battles we will inevitably face: a financial crisis, a loss of motivation at work, the loss of a loved one, or maybe a seemingly irreparable marriage conflict. But how many of us are becoming certified technicians in Marriage Conflict Resolution, or attending one-day training on counseling our family through grief?

I joke, of course, but it begs the question: How do we prepare for the unknowns in life? Do you trust your preparation for when trials strike—to care for your family and make the wisest decisions during those trials? The much more important question is: How does God, through His Word, prepare us for what only He knows is in store for us? And how does He promise to lead us through any season of life?

First, we must acknowledge and trust Jesus Christ as the Great Shepherd. In the Gospel of John, Chapter 10, Jesus states the reality that there is “a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy,” but He, as our Great Shepherd, promises to “lay down his life” so that we may “have life and have it abundantly.” Perhaps the most beautiful truth is this: “I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.”

Just as much as Jesus knows the Father, He knows you and what you are going through.

Even more, He promises protection and life in abundance to those who stay within His sheepfold. Our first preparation for any season is trusting our Lord in every present moment to shepherd us perfectly well. Listen to King David’s confidence in the Lord’s preparation: “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle” (Psalm 144:1).

Second, the Word of God is our life Standard Operating Procedure. Although the Bible is complex, and it must be contextually understood, it contains the best practices for worshipping our Lord. We may not have it memorized, and we may need our co-laborers to help us remember it, but it is there to guide us through anything. As the psalmist wrote, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). It doesn’t say the Word is the sun that lights up the entire path, or even a torch to show us where we’re going. An ancient Hebrew oil lamp was a handheld piece of clay that lit a single flame from oil—much like a modern-day Bic lighter, good enough to help us take the next step. And that is all God needs us to do: to prayerfully take the next step with Him while being faithful to His commands.

Lastly, we are never meant to work alone. No firefighter runs into a structure fire alone. No cop rejects mandatory backup. No medic works a code solo. Why would we ever believe God wants us to live faithfully without His Church? We absolutely need a community of faith. And can be blessed by seeking out community with other faithful first responders. The Apostle Peter charges the exiled churches to come together as “living stones . . . being built up as a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). Jesus Christ is our foundation, and He has given us His Church to stabilize our faith. “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1).

Trust. Obedience. Community. These are the keys to being prepared for what tomorrow will bring.

How do you stay prepared to take on anything with Christ? Let's talk about it.