As I prepare to pack and go to Japan on a mission trip to spread the gospel with my fellow YWAM colleagues, it makes me start to question: 'what is preparation?' and 'what exactly is it that am I preparing for?'
What are we preparing for?
I am having to pack and make sure I have all the right essentials which I believe at this moment includes clothes, toiletries and documentation. However, when it comes to it I barely prepared: should I make a list or just pack everything I have. My team leader is making sure we have the correct documentation for the flights and our accommodation.
When Jesus came he talked about being prepared for when he returns. As it says in Luke chapter 12, verses 35 to 38:
'Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning,as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.'
We should prepare for the Lord's return. However, what do we do to prepare for this? As it says in Matthew chapter 19, verse 21:
'Jesus told him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me." When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.'
In order to prepare for Japan or anything in life, I need to be ready in every moment. I try to live like this most of my life by focusing on and embracing areas of my life when I am ready. This can be difficult, but to understand it, I need to realise that God is always going to equip me. I strongly believe that he does.
When I enter Japan, I know I won't be prepared. But God has prepared me for this stage of my life, even if I don't feel ready. He will calm every fear, and even more than this—he will show me his perspective to reveal why I needn't fear these things in the first place.
Is preparation the key?
I have played many a game of sport—especially rugby. I have been part of many teams who ensure they are well prepared for a game; they put in the hard hours of practice, and everyone knows their job from the stand off to the prop, but they still lose because the team lacked the heart, the passion.
In contrast, I have also been part of many make shift teams where we turned up on the day, didn't even know most of guys we were playing with, and many of the guys hadn't played rugby for years. However, those teams often won because they turned up with passion and a drive to fight for each other.
This is exactly what is needed when we are preparing for any trip, assignment, game or meeting—the heart to succeed, the drive to win and the passion in your belly that you will win with whoever is around you. If you have these tools all fired up, every person you come into contact with or work alongside will experience a new excitement too!
Will things always work out?
Never! Even if you have planned and have the passion for an endeavour to succeed, you may still fall flat on your face. However, in the failure, you have prepared for the next situation in which you might have made the same mistake. You have prepared through experiencing a learning curve in your life that makes you even more motivated to succeed and make the attempt to win.
This is why—as I prepare to leave Byron Bay and go to Japan for the next month—I am ready and prepared. Because the worst thing that can happen is to prepare, but not to be prepared to learn lessons that will put us in better stead for succeeding at another time in the future.
My life has always been blessed, and I feel prepared for anything—even a scary trip to Japan—when I remember Romans chapter 8, verse 28:
'And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.'
I pray that I will be guided on my trip, but go with the confidence that whether my past life-preparation helps me out now, or whether this trip will prepare me for something in the future—the only possible outcome is 'success'.
So what are you worried for? Are you prepared for your challenges?
Mike Burr is from Manchester, England, with a marketing degree and several years working in the corporate world. Mike is in Australia for six months at a YWAM Discipleship Training School in Byron Bay, NSW.
Mike Burr's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mike-burr.html