TOO TRUE!

Sunday 7 September, 08

‘HOLD ON TO INSTRUCTION…GUARD IT WELL, FOR IT IS YOUR LIFE.’ PROVERBS 4:13 NIV

It’s not enough to get prepared, you must stay prepared. We’re being told that knowledge is doubling every five years. So if you don’t keep growing, you’ll end up with coping skills that no longer match the challenge you face in the world you live in. It’s estimated that many doctors are so busy taking care of patients, they are years behind the latest developments in their field. If you or a loved one gets ill, that could become a real concern for you. Preparation doesn’t begin with what you do; it begins with what you believe. If you believe that success tomorrow depends on what you do today, you’ll treat today differently. A wise sailor studies the weather before he goes to sea because he knows that avoiding a storm is easier than getting out of one. Howard Coonley of the American National Standards Institute stated, ‘The leader of the future will be rated by his ability to anticipate problems, rather than to meet them as they come.’ Preparation is not merely an event, it’s a perspective. Abraham Lincoln said, ‘If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my axe.’ As a young man Lincoln had split rails with an axe, so he knew the value of staying sharp. Wisdom always prompted him to prepare; whether he was getting ready to cut wood, study law on his own to pass the bar or lead the nation. This is why your Bible says, ‘Hold on to instruction, do not let it go. Guard it well, for it is your life.’