Being prepared for possible danger

Fresh bear tracks January 2025

Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later. Proverbs 22:3

I am prepared for the worst, but hope for the best.  Benjamin Disraeli

Some years ago, I was hiking by myself in a remote area on a crisp fall morning with a few inches of snow from the night before.  Clearly, from the unmarked snow, I was the first person up the trail that morning.  As I hiked along, I glanced down at the snowy trail and saw enormous bear tracks, obviously fresh!  Now, black bear attacks are EXCEEDINGLY RARE, but the few that have occurred in the last century have been with a lone hiker and a lone male bear.  And, on this day, I really was quite alone, without even my usual pup company.  Having only recently started hiking a bit more since my children were all grown, I was still working on being properly prepared on longer, more remote Sierra hikes.  Carrying bear spray hadn’t really occurred to me, but it sure did at that moment.  In fact, bear spray was on my Christmas list that year…  

November 2017

In our spiritual life, we need to be prepared for dangers as well.  Dangers can come in many varieties including flattery leading to inappropriate behavior, friendly conversation leading to the temptation to gossip, or even anger when our selfish desires for things or status are not met.  The list ranges from small things to large, but the consequences are the same in that these dangers can cause us trouble that we will regret, as well as harm to ourselves and others.  Words that can’t be unsaid, deeds that can’t be undone.

You see, just as I should have been carrying bear spray to prepare for potential physical danger, it’s essential that we are spiritually prepared for the trouble that may occur in the world and in ourselves.  We need to have spiritual tools to be ready, including a close daily time with God, knowledge of Scripture, and wise counsel of other Christians in our life. Perhaps most of all, a sense of humility in recognizing that any of us can and will fail to do the right thing at various times in our lives. Spend time with God the Father and Jesus and listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to be prepared for potential spiritual dangers of the world.